From Hueco Mundo with Love
by Tsunami Storm
Summary: Two years after Aizen's defeat, Ichigo and his friends are tasked with a very special mission. Old friends from the past resurface, and miracles happen in the most unlikely circumstances.
1. Plans and Preparations

Hello, hello, hello! It's me again! Starting in the _Bleach_ universe this time!

I've had this idea for a while, and now it has resurfaced, so I can finally write it down for you wonderful people on . You know who you are. XD

Just making sure I don't forget again:

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Bleach, any of its wonderful characters, or any of the plots. Those belong to Tite Kubo-san. I don't plan to make any moolah off this little story, so take your potential lawsuits elsewhere. This is for entertainment purposes only. [As are _all_ my stories, come to think of it.] Anyway, the only thing I own is this little plot here.

Author's comments will be surrounded by [brackets] like these, and are not (usually) a part of the story and _can_ be ignored.

_Thoughts_ will be written in _italics_ like this, as well as words I put an extra emphasis on,

Flashbacks (if any are included) will be flagged by -Flashback- inserts,

And reviews will be gobbled up like delicious cookies. MMM, Reviews... Tasty.

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap._ Kurosaki Ichigo shifted in his sleep, attributing the barely-noticeable tapping on his shoulder to be something from his imagination. The tapping continued, and the seventeen-year-old groaned in irritation and brushed off his shoulder, as if dusting off an insect or something. When the movement came a third time, this more of a 'shaking' motion than tapping on his shoulder, he decided that it was worth the trouble of checking out.

The orange-haired teen opened his brown eyes, and found himself looking directly into a pair of warm, concerned red beads in the green face of a turtle plushie.

"N-Nova?" Ichigo grunted sleepily, and the plushie nodded back, a soft smile in his ruby eyes. Ichigo sat up in bed, and the turtle walked over and sat on his kneecap.

"What's wrong, Nova?" the teen asked the turtle, "What's up with the midnight wake-up call?"

For an answer, the plushie pulled a note that was as tall as he was out of thin air and handed it to the boy. Ichigo cocked his head in confusion, but took the letter and opened it anyway.

"_Kurosaki-san,_

_I am sorry to bother you at this unusual hour, but could you drop by my shop ASAP? It seems I need your help with a certain matter._

_Your friend,_

_Urahara Kisuke_

_P.S. Come in human form, and bring Kon-san with you."_

"Jeez, what a pain." Ichigo grumbled in annoyance, but decided to go anyway. He pulled open his desk drawer where he kept both Kon's lion-plushie and his gikongan, then unceremoniously shoved the pill into the toy's mouth. Ignoring Kon's indignant protests, Ichigo put a hand over the modified soul's mouth and whispered, "Urusei, baka! Karin, Yuzu, and Dad are still asleep. We're goin' to Urahara's. Get ready." Not taking any chances, Ichigo put his Substitute Shinigami badge in his pocket. You could never be _too_ careful in a town like Karakura. Even doubly so concerning Urahara.

Leaving his room and tiptoeing across the hall, Ichigo silently opened the door to his sisters' room and peeked in. He smiled softly when he saw that they were both sound asleep. He crept over to Karin's bed and bent over her sleeping face, whispering quietly into her ear, "Sweet dreams, Karakura Red." Turning to Yuzu, he gently brushed his lips against her forehead in a sweet kiss, breathing softly, "Sleep well, Karakura Yellow."

Once he was done, he tiptoed back to the hallway and closed the door to his sisters' room. Glancing further down the landing, he smirked and muttered, "Rest well, oyaji." Then he reentered his room, closed the door quietly, and perched on his open windowsill. Nova climbed onto one of his shoulders, and Kon held onto the other. Then the Substitute Shinigami leapt from his window and disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Ah, Kurosaki-san! Glad you could make it!" Urahara greeted with an ostentatious flip of his fan. "We've been waiting for you."

On either side of the former Squad 12 Captain-turned-shopkeeper, Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora waved in greeting, the red-haired girl grinning broadly. "Ya-ho, Kurosaki-kun!" she greeted cheerfully. Chad just smiled and grunted, raising a hand in welcome.

"Ohayo, Inoue. Chad." came the teen's reply, happy and surprised to see two of his closest friends. A purse at Inoue's hip expressed its greeting as well. "Hello, Ichigo-san! It's been too long, I say, too long indeed!" "Ichigo!" a bird-like voice squealed, and a blue-clad bird jumped out of the zipper portion of the animated handbag and tackled the teen's leg. "You don't visit enough, you mean-spirited Soul Reaper! And we've been waiting for _hours_!" she squawked. "You're so _slow_!"

Ichigo laughed. "I've missed you too, Ririn. Nice to see you again, Kurodo-san." he greeted as Nova jumped from his shoulder and put a hand on the bird-girl's shoulder. "It's only been five minutes since I left, Ririn."

"Oh go away, Mr. Know-It-All Nova!" Ririn pouted, turning away from everyone with a flustered _huff_. Everyone chuckled good-naturedly at her antics, knowing full well that her overreactions just signified how much she really cared.

"So, what's the reason for the midnight reunion, Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked when he'd sat down next to Orihime.

"Well now, I guess I'd better just cut to the chase." the former captain sighed. "It seems, though it's been over two years since Aizen's defeat, that his mess is still causing some unexpected problems for us." he scratched his chin thoughtfully, smiling at the group of teens and mod souls mysteriously. "There's one project in particular that has piqued my interest. Quite astounding, really, how it all turned out this way."

"Oh, just spit it out, Urahara!" Ririn snapped in annoyance. "Stop dancin' around the problem and get to the point already! My curiosity's killin' me!"

"Oh all right, all right." the shopkeeper laughed, putting his fan in front of his face to hide his wide grin. Then he abruptly turned serious. "The location is Hueco Mundo, and there's _two_ people that I need you to find there and bring back to this world. Or Soul Society. It doesn't matter which. Just so they're out of the world of Hollows."

Every human in the room visibly tensed at the mention of their destination. Hueco Mundo had been a living nightmare for all involved, and Ichigo would just like to forget the whole disastrous experience. Except for maybe a few things. Nel, for instance.

"So when do we leave?" Chad asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"Oh it won't be for a _week_ at least..." Urahara waved his fan, assuaging his young friends' fears. "First I need your help with another matter entirely. You'll have some help going into Hueco Mundo, just like last time, but I'm afraid I'll have to prepare them first." At this, he looked pointedly at the four mod souls, whose expressions ranged from calm and stoic acceptance (Nova) to utter confusion (Kon).

"No way!" Kon burst out as comprehension finally dawned on him. "You're not takin'_ me_ into that Hollow world! No way, José!"

"You misunderstand me, Kon-sama." Urahara replied, putting his fan over his mouth again to hide a smile. "I never said that_ you_ have to go. After all, _someone_ has to protect Karakura while the 'A-team' is away. You're the best man for the job, Karakura-Raizer!"

Everyone else sweatdropped as Kon puffed out his chest at the flattery. "Oh, I see you've finally recognized my talents! Well then! That changes things a bit! Hear that, Ichigo? You better start treatin' me with the respect a _hero_ like me deserves!"

Ichigo just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Being _that_ gullible was just plain embarrassing. Then he turned serious. "You better protect this town, Kon. If _anything _happens to my family or any of my friends, I'll make you wish you were never created!" Kon could only see the white part of his master's eyes [like in episode 1], and that made the threat all the scarier.

"H-hai, Ichigo. I-I promise." Kon stammered, shrinking away from the human Shinigami and edging out of sight.

"Kurosaki-kun, that wasn't very nice." Inoue chided in concern, and her friend calmed down a bit. "Eh, he'll get over it." he shrugged.

"Excellent." Urahara commented without warning, and raised his exorcism cane and shoved it right at Ichigo's forehead. The surprised teen fell backwards as his soul was ripped forcibly from his body, somersaulting all the way back to the door. His soulless vessel, meanwhile, merely fell backward with the same unsuspecting look of shock in his now-lifeless brown eyes. However, the sound that followed was not the dull _thunk_ that everyone had been expecting. Instead, it sounded more like a wet raspberry.

Ichigo's face colored beet-red in embarrassment, and Kon's outburst of laughter could be heard from somewhere behind him. "Aha ha ha! Got you again, Ichigo! Aha ha ha ha!" he declared happily as Ichigo pulled a small Boo-Boo Cushion from under his body's head and glared at it murderously. "_Kon_,_ I'm going to kill you_..." he growled in a deadly whisper.

Just then, Orihime started giggling, and Ichigo looked at her with an incredulous, slightly wounded expression. Then Jinta, Ururu and Urahara joined in, and soon the whole gathering was chuckling, except for the unfortunate victim. Even Nova cracked a smile of amusement. After her giggles subsided, Orihime commented shyly, "He _did_ get you good, Kurosaki-kun." and that sent the kids into fits of giggles again.

"Well, now that we've all had a good laugh," Urahara commented after a minute, "Kurosaki-san, if you could come with me for a moment." He stood up and led the way to the secret basement of the shop, poking his head back in the room after Ichigo had disappeared. "Ririn, Kurodo, Nova, you too. Jinta, Sado-kun, I'll need your help as well."

The red-haired boy and the tall young man got up and followed without a word, and the three mod souls followed behind them. "Kon-sama, you too. And bring Kurosaki's body, will you?" Urahara called as he disappeared down the hole to the underground 'training area'. "Alright, here we go!" Kon announced, still puffed up from the flattery earlier, and he used his special patch to remove his soul capsule, which bounced right into Ichigo's body's open mouth. Then he stood up, grabbed his plushie form, and jumped down the hole after the boys and other mod souls.

"Ano, Inoue-san..." Ururu began shyly. Orihime looked at her. "This way, please. Kisuke-san asked me to help you with something in the back room." With that, the young girl stood up, leading the redhead to the back of the shop.

"Oh!" Orihime gasped as Ururu opened the door. On the floor lay three human bodies, or gigai, that Urahara had been working on. A young blonde girl for Ririn, an older man with two-toned hair for Kurodo, and a teenaged young man with shockingly red hair for Nova. The twist was that they were only dressed in underwear and a tank-top.

"Kisuke-san would like us to work on designs of outfits for Nova-kun, Kurodo-san, and Ririn-chan. You have good fashion taste, so Kisuke thought you could help us with their outfits."

"I'm flattered, Ururu-chan," Orihime blushed. "But Ishida-kun is better at it than I am."

"He already volunteered to design Ririn-chan's outfit." Ururu answered, suddenly bashful again. "He usually comes by after school."

"I suppose I could give it a shot." Inoue shrugged good-naturedly and Ururu smiled. "Arigato gozaimasu, Inoue-san." she said, bowing as her long bangs fell in her face.

_I wonder how Kurosaki-kun and the others are doing..._ Orihime mused to herself.

* * *

"You want me to do _WHAT_?!" Ichigo shouted, looking at Urahara like he'd lost his marbles. Or, the rest of them anyway.

"It's only for a few minutes, Kurosaki-san, so that your friends will recognize your altered reiatsu in that form and not attack you in Hueco Mundo." Kisuke explained, waving his fan in a reassuring sort of way. Which of course did absolutely nothing to calm the teenager's sudden fear for his friends' safety.

"But... but I still don't know if I can control myself in that form." Ichigo stammered, worried for the sake of his friends. "I don't want you guys to get hurt."_ Like I hurt Ishida last time..._ he thought to himself.

"That's the other reason Nova's here. If you lose control, he can teleport any of us away from the danger." Kisuke answered, looking at the green turtle, who nodded solemnly. "No problem." he answered quietly.

"Besides," the shopkeeper continued. "You told me you didn't have many problems when you rescued your little sister Yuzu from beyond Hell's gate."

"I had a good reason then." Ichigo protested. "I was protecting someone I love, one of my family members. What you're suggesting is like what I did the _first_ time, against Ulquiorra. It was mostly self-preservation instincts. Only a tiny part of me had heard Orihime's cry for help, and fought to protect her and Ishida. The rest of me only wanted to tear that Espada apart."

"Come on, Ichigo," Ririn taunted teasingly. "Don't be such a baby. We'll be fine. We're tougher than we look!" she announced proudly. "Urahara-san upgraded us _quite_ a bit after the Bount fiasco and that disaster with that Arrancar."

"Our gigai may have been destroyed in that battle, but our spirits have never been stronger!" Kurodo interjected happily. "So go on and transform, Ichigo-san. We can handle it!"

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn ya..." Ichigo agreed grudgingly, assuming his Vizard mask from thin air. Black and crimson reiatsu swirled around him like a tornado, and Ririn had to shield her eyes from all the dust that was blowing around. Ichigo was breathing deeply in concentration, reining in his aura so that it surrounded his body and tightened the circle, subsequently lessening the dust-storm.

Without warning, the piercing shriek of a Hollow could be heard from inside the vortex, and all three mod souls and Jinta covered their ears. Within the swirling cyclone of reiatsu, they could just barely make out a shock of orange hair, but it was much longer than what they were used to seeing.

Inside the vortex and in his inner world, Ichigo was desperately holding his Hollow back, reluctant to let him have free rein all at once. _Zangetsu!_ Ichigo cried mentally. _Help me! I'm not... strong enough!_

_I am here, Ichigo..._ the young black-haired man answered, putting a gentle hand on his wielder's shoulder, and immediately, the reiatsu whirlwind outside calmed down considerably. After another minute, the spiritual energy returned to its master, and the dust settled. Jinta and Kurodo could only stare open-mouthed at the powerful Hollow that stood before them. Nova instinctively stepped in front of Ririn in a protective stance, though he knew he couldn't do much in his current body. Even so, he shielded the younger mod soul, who had become like a little sister to him.

The act of protecting Ririn felt familiar, as if he'd stood in this position in the same or a similar scenario before, but he couldn't remember when or why. He _did_ remember he was protecting someone or something with his life, but couldn't recall who or what. The location of this almost-memory was also a mystery, and the circumstances leading up to it. Who, What, Where, When, Why, How. The six basic questions of life, and no answers to any of them.

"It's alright, everyone." Kisuke announced after a minute of silence, cutting the tension in the air and making everyone either jump or flinch. "Our friend Ichigo is in complete control. Aren't ya," It wasn't stated as a question, but the Hollow nodded slowly anyway.

"I... will... protect..." the Hollow that was Ichigo growled carefully, still not completely trusting his newest form. "my... friends..."

"Whew, that's good. At least he still recognizes us as allies." Ririn chirped, heaving a sigh of relief. She slowly walked up to him, then flew up to his shoulder without so much as a warning, causing the Hollowfied teen to freeze like a block of ice, still as a statue. "You sure look a lot different, though." she commented dryly.

"Urahara-san, we're finished with the designs-" Orihime called happily as she bounced toward the group, but then she stopped in her tracks and gasped in fright. "K-Kurosaki...kun?" she asked the Hollow, who was now staring at her directly, a crimson Cero forming between his two horns.

Suddenly, Ichigo seemed to come to his senses, because the Cero slowly vanished and a voice growled, "I'll... save... you..."

Orihime gasped again, but this one was out of surprise, not fear. _That's what Kurosaki-kun said before he fought Ulquiorra. He still remembers that from back then?_ she thought, amazed and somewhat impressed.

"Excellent defensive reflexes, and nice re-strategy upon recognizing friend from foe." Urahara complimented, directing his words at the Vasto Lorde. "You would never have forgiven yourself if you had released that Cero." Ichigo just stood there in silence, his head downcast.

"Are you guys accustomed to his reiatsu yet?" Jinta called over to the mod souls. "That Hollow-form gives me the creeps."

Ichigo's head snapped up at the boy's words and he wordlessly drew his Zanpakuto, already automatically released in its Bankai stage, Tensa Zangetsu. He slowly stepped over to where the red-haired boy stood and raised his blade, the hilt just above his mask. Jinta took a step back in terror, then two, then lost his balance and fell on his backside. Ichigo lifted his Soul Slayer higher...

...and struck his own face with the pommel. As the white, cracked fragments of the mask fell away and broke into nothingness on the rocky terrain, Hollow Ichigo [Shirosaki] leaned down and grinned evilly at the horrified boy. "You ain't seen _nothin'_ yet..."

* * *

End of chapter 1

Next chapter teaser: Miracle and a Surprise

Aww. Ichi's so kind to his sisters. Just like a big brother should be. And I think he would know about the 'Karakura Super Heroes' by now. And he agrees with me that Karin should be 'Red'. Jinta can be 'Blue' for all I care. XD

Ever since I saw the Bount arc, I've had an interesting theory about Nova-kun, which I hinted at a little bit in this chapter. I'll show you what it is as the story continues.

_Two _people in Hueco Mundo? Who could they be? Only the author knows, and only time will tell...

From now on I'll be calling Ichigo 'Ichigo' and his Hollow form 'Shirosaki', to minimize confusion.

Oh, and thank my Nii-sama for the wonderful title. He suggested it when I was caught up in the vicious storm of Writer's Block. Arigato gozaimasu, Onii-chan! [Although, I don't know how I feel about the similarity to James Bond... Oh well.]

I have a question for those who are fluent in Japanese and English: How would I refer to my 'younger brother', yet still in a way that makes it seem like I look up to and respect him? 'cause 'Nii-sama' implies that he's older than me... which he's not.


	2. Miracle and a Surprise

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 2: Miracle and a Surprise

* * *

Shirosaki advanced on the young boy, his yellow and black eyes sparkling gleefully at the thought of killing someone. His blue tongue snaked out of his mouth and licked his lips sinisterly. He raised his white Zanpakuto over his head, and brought it swishing down with a cackle of laughter.

Just before the Hollow sliced Jinta in half, his descending sword froze in midair, the blade only a hair's width from the boy's head. _"Are you... trying to interfere... again, King?"_ Shirosaki grunted inwardly as Ichigo fought for control. _"You heard my friends. Your time is up. Now give... me back... my... BODY!"_ the Shinigami cried, overcoming his Hollow and assuming control once again. He dropped to his knees as he changed back to his normal appearance, gasping to regain his breath, then standing up and sheathing his soul-slayer in his belt once he had reclaimed his energy.

"Jinta-kun!" Ururu cried, running to her younger 'brother' and wrapping her arms around his chest from behind. "Jinta-kun." she sighed in relief.

"Ururu..." he answered, dumbstruck at her reaction. _She was really worried about me?_

"Jinta..." Ichigo whispered, still winded from the transformation. "I- Gomen, Jinta. Gomennasai. Please, forgive me... for what I almost did."

The boy looked over at the contrite teenager, confused. _He's never apologized _before_. Maybe this is a sore spot for him..._

"Daijoubu, spiky-haired boy. Ya didn't hit me, so no worries." Jinta grinned, and Ichigo relaxed a little. "Although," he continued, and Ichigo tensed up again. He looked down. "I think you at least owe me a new pair of pants..."

Everyone laughed at that, and Ichigo blushed, once again embarrassed.

* * *

"Wow, Nova!" Kurodo exclaimed a few days later. "You look great!"

The shy mod soul blushed, suddenly missing his old mask that he could zip shut to hide such emotions. Ririn fluttered down onto his shoulder and agreed, "He's right, Nova. You look good in that new gigai. It's not much different from your old one, though. 'cept for the clothes. How come you picked the same body? You could've had anything you wanted, any design at all!"

"Hey, when you find a look that works for you, you stick to it. Ne, Nova?" Ichigo joked gently, elbowing the redheaded young man playfully. Nova merely turned even redder and looked down at his feet. This time, he wore a pair of light-colored tennis shoes, a pair of beige cargo shorts, a dark blue t-shirt that revealed his surprisingly-muscular physique, and his old cross-patterned shield on his back to amplify his dimension-portal powers.

Kurodo's gigai hadn't changed much either, at the mod soul's request, and his outfit still resembled that of an English aristocrat of the nineteenth century, with tall boots, beige breeches, a brown overcoat with tails over a gray-and-red vest, a gray-and-yellow tie, and top-hat. Even his spectacles were the same, now perched on the end of his nose.

Ririn was the one who changed the most. While before she had resembled an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, now she looked closer to fifteen, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that looked like sapphires. She wore a light blue summer dress that came to her knees, showing off pale, smooth calves and tiny bare feet. "This isn't my only outfit, either. Four-Eyes made me a whole closet-full!" she chirped happily, showing off her new look and strutting like a peacock.

"Pride goes before a fall," Ichigo muttered to himself, then snorted when Ririn tripped on the rug and nearly fell flat on her face. "Like I said." he chuckled.

"Shut up Ichigo!" the flustered mod soul snapped, her face turning red like Nova's hair. The red-haired boy's mouth turned up at a corner, but then it quickly disappeared when Ririn looked at him. "What are _you_ looking at, Nova?" she demanded, but the teenager just shrugged and silently excused himself from the room. He gave Ichigo a meaningful look, which the boy interpreted as a request to follow him outside.

Once out of the shop, Ichigo looked to his companion for an explanation, but the mod soul only shrugged and replied, "Fresh air is good for you." Ichigo couldn't argue with that logic, so he just shrugged too and nodded. They decided to go for a short walk around, just enjoying the warm spring day. First they walked past Ichigo's high school, then the museum, and finally came to the park, where a group of kids were playing soccer. Among them was a very familiar young teenager with short black hair.

"Karin?" Ichigo asked, smiling at the coincidence of this meeting.

"Ichi-nii?" his sister asked in the same tone, then smiled and waved to her older brother as she called for a time-out. Her teammates sighed in relief. She had been drilling them vigorously the past few days, and they were glad for a break.

"Hey, Ichi. What's up?" the girl asked, walking over and looking up at her brother. She noticed the other young man with him, and suddenly a jolt passed through her mind. _This guy has _beautiful_ green eyes. And _really_ red hair. Where have I seen that combination before?_ she wondered to herself as she bowed and introduced herself. "I'm Kurosaki Karin, Ichigo's little sister. Nice to meet ya."

Nova nodded politely in greeting, a kind smile on his face. "Nova." he replied, his cheeks reddening a little in a moment of bashfulness. "It's a pleasure."

"Interesting name." Karin mused aloud, but then she shrugged. "This your first time in Karakura, Nova?" she asked, curious about the young man who appeared to be Ichigo's age, perhaps sixteen, maybe seventeen.

"No. I've lived here my whole life." he explained quietly, regretting the half-truth. It was true that he'd lived all of his 'second' modified life in this town, but he couldn't remember his past life. The first memory that he had before he woke up as a mod soul was of him standing in front of a young boy, facing a Hollow with green skin, orange-rimmed eyes on a white mask, and purple/magenta tentacles sprouting out of its back.

_Where did _that_ come from?_ Nova wondered. _I've never been able to picture the Hollow that attacked us so clearly. Could I be regaining the memories of my past life?_ He shook his head violently to clear his thoughts, then looked back at Karin, who had an odd expression on her face. It looked like a little bit of concern mixed in with sudden excitement.

"You ever played soccer before, Nova?" the girl asked the teenaged mod soul, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was 'soccer', again? But then comprehension dawned on him, and he nodded, accepting the unspoken invitation.

"Excellent. Maybe you and Ichi can help me teach these guys how the game is _really_ played. How 'bout it, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, smiling at her older brother expectantly. Ichigo sighed and shook his head in mock exasperation, but then he shrugged and answered, "Sure. Why not. I haven't got anything else to do today."

"Perfect! You'll be on opposite teams of course, it would be too unbalanced otherwise. Nova, you'll be with me." the girl announced, and the mod soul humbly followed his new teammate out onto the practice field. Ichigo joined the opposite team. The referee held the ball in his hand over the player's heads, then he blew his whistle and dropped the ball, beginning the game.

* * *

"Pesche, how's it coming?" Neliel asked of her Fraccíon, who looked up with a smile. "Great. A few more tweaks and a few more days, and we should have Hollow and Shinigami completely separated from each other. The Hollow will unfortunately not survive, but I've got a good feeling that the Soul Reaper will." Pesche Gautische stated, running his long, thin fingers over the keys one more time in Szayel Aporro's restored lab, adjusting the reishi-to-liquid ratio in the tank of fluid that suspended their little 'project'.

_That's okay, if the Hollow doesn't live,_ Neliel thought. _It would probably have to be destroyed anyway. It was too wild to control itself. Too dangerous. Besides, that Hollow 'Metastacia' always gave me the creeps. I can't believe Aizen had it attack and possess that young man all those years ago..._

"You're _sure_ he won't remember anything of what happened as Aaronniero Arruruerie, right?" Neliel asked of her friend, who looked at her with a gold eye that was filled with concern. "It's impossible to tell. Unfortunately, Szayel Aporro's memory machine was completely destroyed in his battle with Uryuu, Renji, and that scientist captain of the Shinigami." Pesche ran a hand through his blond hair nervously, checking a few more figures in his notes. "I'm actually surprised this guy survived," he commented after a minute, changing the subject. "there wasn't much left to save when we first found what remained of him in Aaronniero's palace."

"Maybe it was the will of the King that we find him and restore him." Neliel mused. "From what Aizen-sama- no, that traitor, told me about him, this Shinigami deserved much better than the path Fate led him down."

…

"You know, he looks a lot like Ichigo." Pesche observed later as he continued to press buttons on the console. Neliel was thankful that her friend had always harbored an interest in science and machinery. She wouldn't know the first thing about how to save this man's life. "...'cept for the hair, and the eyes."

"They could be brothers." Neliel agreed, turning back to look at the former Lieutenant of Squad 13, the older brother of Ganju and Kukkaku Shiba. Thought to have been long deceased by his peers in Soul Society and his family. If all went well here, they should be able to send him back home to his loved ones within a few days. "Twins, even." Pesche agreed.

"Speaking of _brothers_," Neliel began, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Where's Dondochakka?"

"Oh, he's in that huge room with the fake blue sky with Bawabawa. I think he's training for something. I don't think he knows that the fight against Aizen is over already. I've tried telling him that a million times, but it seems the info just goes in one of his ears and out the other, never stopping at his brain." Pesche shrugged, pushing a few more keys and then leaning back in his chair. Neliel giggled. That was just like her second Fraccíon.

"Thanks for restoring us, by the way." he remarked a while later as he watched the young man in the recovery tube heal. "I like this form much better than the old one with a full mask."

"I couldn't just leave my two best friends looking like any ordinary Hollows. Not when I know you two are so much more..." Neliel answered, a few tears budding in her eyes.

Pesche's eyes were getting a little watery too, and he hugged his Espada like she was his little sister. His beautiful, strong, kindhearted little sister who just happened to be his commander. He'd follow her to the end of time, because moments like this made it all worth it.

* * *

Nova was concentrating with all his might on guarding the goal against Ichigo's team, and so far, none of the shots had made it past the bars and into the net. He felt that it wouldn't be very fair if he used his powers, so he relied on his natural athletic ability alone to guard their team's goal. Opposite him, on the far side of the field, Ichigo had also been named goalie, and was blocking shot after shot like the best of them. After one particularly difficult catch, he couldn't resist grinning at the player who'd kicked the ball: his little sister. His eyes seemed to taunt: _You'll have to do better than that, Karin._

"Shut up, Ichi." Karin laughed back, also grinning and knowing that her brother was only teasing. Then she ran off as her brother threw the ball back to the center of the field, continuing the game.

…

Nova looked up at the clock on the scoreboard as a young boy ran at him, dribbling the ball for a final goal. There were only a few seconds left on the clock, and the score was tied at 3-3. If this kid didn't score, the game would go into overtime. _Ah, it's just a game played for the fun of it. It's not like anything's riding on one team or another winning..._ Nova thought to himself as the boy continued to approach. As he drew near, Nova began to notice some of the boys features. _He has red hair just like mine, maybe a shade or two lighter. And green eyes, though mine have more blue in them. He almost looks like- but that's impossible. That boy died a long time ago. Still, there's something about this child..._

Nova snapped to his senses at the last second, just after the boy took his shot for the final goal of the game. Unfortunately for the goalie, it was on the other side of the goal from his position. Nova grimaced in annoyance and jumped for the ball. He stretched out his arms...

...and the ball flew right through his outstretched fingers and smacked into the net behind him. Nova fell to his hands and knees, disappointed that he hadn't caught the ball. _I failed the team..._ the teenager berated himself mentally as the boy was lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates as they paraded around the field, celebrating their victory.

"Team captains," the referee called, "Shake hands. Players, show your respect to your opponents."

Ichigo followed the other members of his winning team as they passed by their 'opponents', high-fiving the kids as they passed him in the opposite direction. When he came to the other team's goalie, he grinned and shook his hand, complimenting, "Good game, Nova. Nice job." The mod soul nodded and answered with a grin of his own, silently directing the comment right back to Ichigo.

"Your name's Nova?" the red-haired boy from earlier asked, and Nova looked at him and nodded, smiling kindly. "I once knew someone with that name." the boy continued, suddenly looking sad. "He looked exactly like you, too." he revealed, before he remembered his manners and bowed. "Oh, right! My name's Shuichi. Shuichi Minamino*."

The name of the boy caused a rush of memories to come flooding back to the mod soul, and he put a hand to his temple in a vain attempt to slow the deluge, and the headache that accompanied it. It was almost like a slideshow of all the times he had seen this boy before, though he knew for certain that he'd never met him before in this life. Suddenly, he gasped. He _did_ know this boy! He was-

"Shuichi! It's time for dinner!" a woman called from somewhere in the row of houses south of the park. "Okay, Mom! Coming!" the boy called, running off the field. "See you tomorrow guys, Kurosaki!"

"Yeah. Ja ne, Shuichi!" Karin called back as he disappeared from view. She walked back over to where her brother and Nova were standing, then addressed the mod soul directly. "You okay, Nova? You looked like you got a sudden headache there while you were talking to Shuichi. Is everything alright?" she asked in concern, studying the young man thoroughly, especially since he looked like he was still in shock.

"That boy..." Nova began breathlessly. "Who is his family?"

"The Minamino's? They're really great people. His mother's a wonderful cook, and his father works in law enforcement, though he's a really nice, gentle person. Not someone you see every day in the force." Karin answered with a smile.

"They had an older son too, but he... died, two years ago." Ichigo added solemnly. "Actually, I think it was the day before I became a Shinigami." Nova looked at him in surprise, and he continued. "It was a Hollow attack. His brother protected him from the Hollow and gave his life in the process. He was already gone when they brought him to our clinic. Shuichi hasn't been the same since."

"I remember that." Karin put in. "His face was so badly cut up that I didn't recognize him. I can't remember what he looked like before that. Just that he was really handsome. Red hair just like his father, green eyes like his mother." then she chuckled. "He'd always called Shuichi 'Yoko', after a famous legend of a demon fox, 'cause Shuichi was such a troublemaker back then. But now, you wouldn't know it from the way he acts. It's like he's a totally different person."

"Grief affects people in a lot of ways, Karin." Ichigo imparted sagely. "Just look at how it affected our family. You were always a crybaby, like I was, and now you don't cry about anything. Yuzu took on Mom's responsibilities around the house, and I-"

"Turned into a moody grouch?" Karin interrupted teasingly, trying to lighten the mood and playfully elbowing her brother in the ribs. He glared at her, and she just winked. "My point is, grief can have a profound effect on people, especially if the person lost was close, like a mother or a brother." he explained, rolling his eyes at her behavior.

Through all this, Nova listened carefully, adding this new information to his memory to process later. _Urahara-san must have fashioned my Gikongan from the remnants of my soul still left in my body. ...but, that means-!_

As the truth dawned on him, Nova quickly excused himself from the group, sprinting in the direction of Urahara's shop. He never thought to use his powers of teleportation, so focused was he on his destination. _My old gigai was never a 'gigai'. It was my real _human_ body! Urahara must have got it from Isshin. They _are_ old friends, after all. Why did Urahara never tell me who I am? _As he ran, he considered all the possibilities. _I guess he thought that I wouldn't be able to focus on the job with the Bounts if I knew the truth, who I really was. He thought that I would try to search for my family instead of helping Chad and the others._

The scenery flashed by him, but Nova took no notice of it as more of the pieces fell into place. _I think that's the other reason why I wore a mask. It wasn't just because I'm shy. He didn't want anyone recognizing me and jeopardizing our mission. The Bounto came first, and then the Arrancar after that. Then my body was destroyed in that battle with the rogue Arrancar, Patras. I guess he saw no point in disguising me anymore after that. It's been two years since I died. He must have thought everyone had forgotten me by now. That's why he's letting me reveal my face in public._

At last he reached the shop, and he shoved both the sliding doors open so they crashed against the walls. Urahara himself was seated on the wooden step that divided the shop from the living quarters behind. "Welcome! What can I get y- Nova! You're back!" Kisuke announced happily, grinning and putting his fan in front of his face. "That's good. We were getting worried. You should tell us where you're going next time." he chided gently, feigning hurt.

Nova didn't pay any attention to the shopkeeper's antics, walking calmly over to the man who had literally changed his life and whispering, "Why didn't you tell me about my family, Urahara? _Why_ didn't you tell me that my little brother _survived_?"

* * *

End of chapter 2

Next chapter teaser: Into the Darkness

Ooo! Plot-twists ahoy! Brace yerselves, shipmates! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Uh-oh. Looks like somebody messed up their pants. XD Although, I don't blame ya, Jinta. Ichi's Hollow form is creepy enough to give _anyone_ nightmares. It did for _me_, anyway. *shudder*

I never _did_ like Nova's outfit in the show. Made him look weird. Kurodo was weird already, so I can forgive his appearance, but Nova deserves an outfit that doesn't make him look like a ninja crossed with a clown. I kept his shield, though, 'cause I thought it was kinda cool. Ririn-chan's dress was based on the one Ishida made for Rukia, if any of you have trouble picturing it. I'm no good at describing fashion, it seems.

That Hollow that killed Kaien? It's back! And causing even _more_ trouble, it seems. Poor Nova!

It's 'soccer' for those of us in the U.S., 'football' for everyone else. My first language is English, so I'll be calling it 'soccer'. Just givin' ya fair warning.

Yay! My favorite Arrancar is back, with her Fraccíon [One of them, anyway]. And she's... healing my second-favorite Espada? What's going on here? Oh wait, that was in the script. And the 'King' she was referring to? It wasn't the King of Hueco Mundo, since he's dead *cough*Barragan*cough*, it was the King of Soul Society. Don't ask me how she knows about him, or why she obeys his will. I don't have _all_ the answers... just _most_ of them. XD

Kaien's back! And... d'aww, family hugs with Pesche and Nel. I agree with him, he looks _much_ better in his restored form. *inner-fangirl drools*

I don't really care much for sports, and hardly ever watch soccer, except when my brother played in high school. I hope I did it justice for the little bit I _did_ show.

*No relation to Kurama of Yu Yu Hakusho. XD I just put that in for some LOLs. And the 'Yoko' nickname.

I know. I'm taking a lot of logic leaps here, but bear with me. Sometimes those darn plot-bunnies won't leave me alone! Argh!

Until next time, ja ne!

Tsunami Storm


	3. Into the Darkness

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 3: Into the Darkness

* * *

"_Why didn't you tell me about my _family_, Urahara? _Why_ didn't you tell me that my little brother _survived_?"_ Nova asked in a deadly whisper, a rare expression of anger on his normally carefully-neutral features. Urahara shifted uncomfortably where he sat, thinking to himself, _So, he's finally remembered, discovered the truth. Well, I guess this ruse couldn't last forever..._

"Your brother, Nova?" Ririn chirped, looking up at him in confusion. "I didn't know you had a brother. Wait a minute, you're a Mod Soul! We don't have families here in the World of the Living!"

"Nova-kun is different from you two, Ririn." Urahara answered with a resigned sigh. "At least he _was_. Before he was a modified soul, he was a normal boy. A normal _human_ boy; he had a life, and a family."

"No way..." the girl breathed, finding it hard to believe this new information. "Then... his gigai-"

"-was never a real gigai. It was his own body. Just with different clothes." the shopkeeper explained heavily, an infinite sadness in his eyes that he rarely showed to anyone. "He was killed in a Hollow attack while protecting his little brother. By pulling some strings with a few of my contacts around Karakura, I was able to bring him back to the shop and forge the remains of his spirit into a new form. I gave him a second chance, if you will, as a Mod Soul."

"You're not a god, Urahara-san." Nova whispered, his face still downcast so they couldn't see his eyes. "What makes you think that you have any right to choose who lives and who dies?"

"Nothing. I had no right to do this to you." Urahara answered, for once looking genuinely sorry. "I know I had no authority to decide your fate, but if I hadn't acted, because of the circumstances of your death, you would have become a Hollow for sure. And that is something that _none_ of us would have wanted. Especially you."

Nova continued to stare at the floor for long time, silent and still as a stone. Finally he looked up, and his 'little sister' saw tears budding in the teenager's eyes. "You're right, Urahara-san. I would never have wanted that. You did the right thing. And I know why you didn't tell me about Shuichi right away. I would've been too distracted in the fight against the Bounto and Arrancar." The tears finally spilled over his eyelids and ran down his face, reflecting the pain that the soul within felt.

"_Nova_..." Ririn breathed, standing up and hugging her best friend around the middle, knowing that he probably needed the comfort right now. The boy didn't react at first, but then he slowly put his arms around the smaller Mod Soul and returned the embrace, tears still flowing freely from his emerald eyes.

"That brings up an interesting point." Ririn commented after a long minute of hugging. "Urahara-san, who's the oldest and youngest of our group, now that we know about who Nova really is?" she asked the shopkeeper, who scratched his chin thoughtfully and grinned, glad for the change of subject.

"Believe it or not, Nova's actually the _youngest_." Kisuke stated, causing the boy's eyes to widen slightly. "Kurodo's the oldest, since I began construction on his gikongan years ago, nearly half a _century_ ago, come to think of it. Ririn, I made yours about three years before Nova's 'accident', and then Nova's last, although his was quite easy compared to you two." he grinned teasingly at the blonde girl, who frowned a little at the good-natured ribbing.

"Hear that, Nova? I'm older than you, so show me a little respect from now on!" she announced, pointing at him and assuming a commanding stance. Impressive, considering her stature.

Nova grinned suddenly, an unexpectedly mischievous look in his jade-colored eyes. "I'm still taller than you, though. I think that ought to count for something..." he teased. "Nee-san."

Ririn scowled in annoyance. "Shut up!"

* * *

"Nova sure left in a hurry. Wonder what's up?" Karin mused out loud, standing next to her brother, who shrugged. "I've never seen him _this_ agitated before. He's always so calm and even-tempered. But I'm sure he'll be fine." Ichigo answered, reassuring his little sister. "We should be getting home too. Dad and Yuzu will be wondering where we are."

"Good point. You don't wanna get kicked in the face again if you're not home by 7:00." Karin teased, earning a gentle shove and a glare from her big brother. She _did_ have a point though. _Dad and his crazy rules... Geez, what a pain._

The walk home was fairly quiet and uneventful, unless you counted the three Plus ghosts that they passed on the way there. Both siblings could see them, yet both ignored the apparitions as if they couldn't. The elder sibling thought,_ Eh, I'll come back later to do the Konso..._ and the younger sibling shrugged mentally,_ Ghosts are a Soul Reaper's job. They're not _my_ problem._

Walking through the gate to the back entrance of their house, both brother and sister announced in unison, "We're home." Yuzu looked up from setting the table, and Isshin looked over from the sofa, leaning his head back to look at the two upside-down. "Whaddaya know? You're actually on time for once, Ichigo! Surprises will never cease!" he laughed, backflipping off the sofa and landing on his feet between it and the dinner table. All three kids sweatdropped, thinking, _Showoff, _although Yuzu added another thought._ I wish he wouldn't do stuff like that. It's dangerous!_

After a delicious meal, the Kurosaki family helped their sister and daughter with the dishes, then went their separate ways. Isshin vaulted back onto the couch to catch the evening news, Karin and Yuzu went up to their room, and Ichigo left for his room. Just before he set a foot on the bottom step, though, Isshin called, "Wait, Ichigo. I wanna talk to you for a minute."

Confused, Ichigo turned back around to look at his father, then walked over and sat on the couch's armrest. "What's up, Dad?"

"Lemme get straight to the point." Isshin stated, muting the TV so that he could talk to his son. "Urahara told me he's sending you and a couple of your friends to Hueco Mundo pretty soon. No, I don't know all the details, nor do I want to," he countered just as Ichigo was about to speak. "I just wanna tell you to be careful, and protect your friends at all costs. But protect yourself, too. You've got a frightening power, Ichigo. Don't let that power control you, _you_ control _it_. Remember the things I've taught you, and you'll make it out alive. I know you will." Isshin grinned, looking at his son proudly._ He reminds me so much of my friend from Soul Society, back when I was a Shinigami... and not just 'cuz they look alike, either. Similar personalities, similar reiatsu... If I didn't know better, I'd think that part of Kaien lives on in Ichigo... but that's impossible._

"Dad..." Ichigo breathed, not expecting such serious words from his old man. He usually acted like such a clown.

"Now get upstairs and do whatever you need to do, and make sure you're back before 10. You'll need a good night's sleep for your long day tomorrow." Isshin laughed as he suddenly jumped up and kicked his son in the backside. Ichigo yelped at the unanticipated attack, realizing too late that he'd let his guard down again in front of his father. Never a good idea. But then he smirked and ascended the staircase, shaking his head in exasperation at his immature father. _He'll never change_, he thought to himself,_ but I like it that way. Keeps things interesting around here._

Reaching his room, he pulled his Substitute Combat Pass out of his pocket and touched it to his chest. His soulless body fell backwards onto his bed, and the Soul Reaper opened his window and jumped out into the night breeze. Unnoticed, a certain young girl watched him from his doorway as he disappeared through the window, then whispered, "Good luck, Ichi-nii."

* * *

Said Shinigami jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to get back to the park and then take the route home that he and his sister had used earlier, looking for the souls that they had both spotted. He found one right away, the soul of a middle-aged mother who had died of cancer years ago. She gave him a grateful smile as she disappeared to Soul Society, leaving a Hell Butterfly in her place just like all the others. The next was an old man who had lived here until recently, when he'd died of a heart attack. This soul was grateful as well, and his face was peaceful as he passed on to his final destination.

The last soul was hard to locate, but eventually the substitute Soul Reaper found that one as well. It was the spirit of a young girl who had been hit by a car. Ichigo's face saddened when he noticed that she couldn't be more than six or seven years old. _So young, and now her life is over... Well, in _this _world, anyway._ The girl shied away from him, afraid of the very large sword that he carried on his back.

"Shinpai nai, little girl. You're safe. I won't hurt you." he said gently, trying to reassure the child. When he saw that she was crying, he put a hand behind her small back and embraced the girl in a one-arm hug, allowing the child to cry into his shoulder for a bit.

"A-are y-you here t-to s-send me t-to H-Hell?" the little girl sobbed, small hiccups punctuating her words so that they came out in a jagged fashion.

"No. Hell isn't a place for you. It's for really bad monsters that did really bad things while they were alive, like murderers. You're destination is Soul Society. Or Heaven, as you would call it. You don't need to be afraid." Ichigo comforted, finding it slightly ironic that he already thought like a Soul Reaper rather than a human when it came to Soul Society, even though he was technically both human and Shinigami.

"R-really?" the girl sniffed, looking up at him with big greenish-blue eyes.

"Really." Ichigo smiled kindly, removing his Zanpakuto from his back and pointing its pommel at the girl's forehead. A seal glowed blue on the handle and his smile grew wider, though that didn't make it any less gentle. The little girl wiped her eyes, then gave a brave smile as she accepted the seal that Ichigo had pressed onto her brow. Eventually she faded like the others, and a Hell Butterfly fluttered away from the place where the little girl had been.

"So long, kid." Ichigo sighed as he stood up and returned Zangetsu to its place on his back. Suddenly he heard a voice behind him, and he spun around upon hearing it.

"Never seen your 'compassionate' side before. You're more gentle than I would've expected." the Soul Reaper commented, stepping out of the shadows and into the light provided by the streetlamp above him. He was wearing a normal black shihakusho, but the sleeves had been cut off at the shoulders. He also had three vertical scars across his right eye, a gray stripe across his nose and cheekbone, and the number 69 tattooed on his left cheek.

"Shuuhei! Haven't seen _you_ in a while!" Ichigo grinned, surprised to see the Lieutenant of Squad 9 in the World of the Living. Hisagi Shuuhei smiled as well, happy to see his friend after a long time. "It _has_ been a long time, Kurosaki." he answered, walking up to the teenager and gripping his hand in a firm handshake.

"What brings you here?" Ichigo asked as they walked around the town, searching for either more souls to send off or Hollows to purify. "Urahara asked me to come. Apparently, I'm going on this 'mission' to Hueco Mundo with you guys too. Actually, I was told to come by Head Captain Yamamoto. He wouldn't tell me what this mission was for, but it must be pretty important if he's working with Urahara. I still get the feeling that he doesn't trust him, even after all this time."

"What, you mean the incident with the Vizards?" Ichigo asked, and Shuuhei nodded. "That was like a hundred years ago! And it wasn't even _his_ fault, it was Aizen's!"

"He _knows_ that, but he's really stubborn about the matter. Captain Kyoraku is always trying to get him to change his mind, to let up on the punishment, but he won't budge." Shuuhei shrugged, quickly excusing himself to slay a Hollow and then returning. "Hey, that reminds me." he commented. "This has nothing to do with the current topic, but you should consider getting a Soul Pager from Urahara. I know your badge alerts you to a Hollow appearing, but a phone's more accurate. And then you could talk to anyone in Soul Society from here. Convenient, eh?"

"Really? You can make calls between dimensions with those things?" Ichigo asked, surprised and impressed. _Maybe Rukia's phone wasn't a piece of junk after all..._

"Sure. We do it all the time." Shuuhei answered with another shrug, disposing of another Hollow before Ichigo even noticed he was gone. _They're awfully active tonight._ _Wonder if something's up?_ he thought to himself as they continued to walk. "They don't work in Hueco Mundo though, if that's what you're thinking." the fukutaicho warned, glancing at the other boy, who wore an odd expression on his face.

"Oh, that's not it." Ichigo told him. "I just thought that you'd have to be a _real_ Shinigami to get one of those things. As in, a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Well... normally that _would_ be the case, but most of us consider you to be an honorary member of the Squads already, so I'm sure they'd make an exception for you." Hisagi imparted. "It'd be a lot more convenient, that's for sure." he laughed, and Ichigo smiled, honored that the Gotei 13 felt that way about him.

"Oh, if you're wondering, I'll be stayin' with Urahara until we leave. I know we Shinigami have caused you a lot of trouble in the past, just barging into your house and expecting you to find room for all of us. We had no right to invade your privacy like that. I apologize."

"S'not your fault." Ichigo answered. "You did what you had to, I should've been a more gracious host. All the times you guys showed up were kinda emergency situations, so you didn't have a lot of time to prepare. I understand." he said, adding as a joke, "The worst one of you was actually Rukia. She had her own room eventually, but she kept insisting on sleeping in my closet." he laughed, recalling some of the more humorous incidents her stays had caused.

"Can I help my personal preference?" a familiar voice asked sarcastically, and Ichigo knew the owner of the voice without even having to turn around. "Should've known you'd come along too, Rukia."

"Of course!" she laughed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm not about to let you boys run off to Hueco Mundo alone on an important rescue mission like this one. Who _knows_ what trouble you could get into." she teased good-naturedly, and both boys smiled. She had a point; it had been pretty messy the first time with the Arrancar.

"Rescue mission?" Hisagi asked, having not heard the details.

"Yes. Captain Ukitake filled me in. We're supposed to bring two people back from Hueco Mundo, either to Soul Society or here. There's no deadline, so we can take our time finding them. He told me that one of them is Ashido Kano, that Shinigami who was constantly fighting Hollows in the Menos Forest. The other one, however, I don't know who he or she is. Just that we would find a friend in Las Noches, and that they would help us the rest of the way." she explained to the two boys.

Suddenly the group of three heard a crash near them, and Rukia jumped a little, startled. She whipped around, then sweatdropped when she discovered that her companion had tripped over his own feet for the umpteenth time and fallen flat on his face. "Really, Hanataro-san, how can anyone be so _clumsy_?" she laughed as the seventh seat of Squad 4 got back to his feet.

"Ita-ta-ta-ta-ta..." the boy complained, holding his head where he'd accidentally injured it in the fall. "Sumimasen, Rukia-san. Gomennasai." the boy muttered, bowing low in embarrassment. Rukia just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Hanataro! What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked rhetorically as he grinned. _What is this, a reunion? All these people from Soul Society showing up all of a sudden... Ah whatever. It's good to see them again._

"Ichigo-san! Hisashiburi-desu!" Hanataro exclaimed, extremely happy to see his friend again. "Hisagi fukutaicho, thank you for allowing me to accompany you guys on this mission. I am honored."

"Eh, _someone's_ gotta come along to do the healing for our group. Knowing Ichigo, he'll probably pick a fight with every single Hollow in Hueco Mundo until there's no one left." Hisagi teased, elbowing the other young man gently in the ribs. Rukia giggled at Ichigo's answering expression, and suddenly the whole group was laughing. "You're probably right, Shuuhei. But, are there any strong Hollows _left_ in Hueco Mundo? I mean, we got rid of all the Espada in the war with Aizen, and all of their Fraccíon too. The place is gonna be completely empty except for the Menos Forest with all those Gillian and Adjuchas." Ichigo agreed with a chuckle. He had a reputation in Soul Society too, it seemed.

"What about your friend, Ichigo?" Rukia asked. "That child with the mask and green hair?"

"Oh, I didn't count Nel, even though she was a former Espada. I meant the other, _un_friendly Hollows." Ichigo elaborated, remembering the girl he'd protected throughout their journey in Hueco Mundo and through most of Las Noches. Then it was her turn to save _him_, in the battle with Nnoitra.

As they continued to talk about various topics, the town clock struck ten, and Ichigo suddenly tensed. _Oops. Didn't make curfew. I'm sure to hear it from Dad._ "Well, I'd better be off. I'll see you two later, Ichigo, Kuchiki!" Hisagi called, jumping up onto the nearest rooftop to make his way to Urahara's shop. Rukia grinned at Ichigo, then took off, calling back, "Meet you at home, Ichigo!"

"Oi! Rukia!" the boy protested, drawing his Zanpakuto and slaying a Hollow that had materialized practically right in front of him. "That little troublemaker..." he growled as he took off after his best friend, toward home.

* * *

"The time has finally come, my friends." Urahara announced when they'd all gathered in the basement training area, at the end of the week. "Are you all prepared?"

Everyone nodded or voiced their agreement, then some of them stretched to prepare for the leap into Hueco Mundo. Ichigo cracked his neck, and Hisagi cracked the knuckles on his hands by closing a hand over each fist, looking quite menacing as he did so. Nova removed the shield from his back, preparing to summon a dimension portal to the other world, and Kurodo adjusted one of the straps that was connected to one of the many supply bags he was carrying. Hisagi had insisted on shouldering part of the burden, so he carried three of the heavier packs on his back.

A surprising number of people had showed up to see off the heroes, more than Ichigo had expected. His entire family, with Kon inhabiting his own body, stood at the left, followed by Asano Keigo, Tatsuki Arisawa, Inoue Orihime, Chad (Sado) Yasutora, and Ishida Uryuu. Next to the Quincy stood Chizuru Honshou and Don Kan'onji, followed by Jinta Hanakari, Urahara Kisuke, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Ururu Tsumugiya at the right.

"Nee-san! Be careful and come back safely!" Kon called, and Rukia smiled and waved to him. "I will. Arigato, Kon- ie, Karakura-Raizer!" she called back, causing the Mod Soul to blush slightly. "Ganbatte, Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue called as she waved. Ichigo just smiled back at her and winked. "Don't worry. We'll be back. Don't get into _too_ much trouble while we're gone, everyone!"

"Minna-san," Nova addressed the group of five. "It's time." Everyone turned to him and nodded, then took a step back as the red-haired boy created the largest portal any of them had ever seen. His power really _had_ grown since they battled the Arrancar. They could tell that Nova was reciting the incantation to connect the portal from this world to the world of Hollows, but it was too quiet to discern any recognizable words. After a few seconds, the portal opened, and a chilling wind blew through the new dimensional hole in space and caused some of the 'audience' to shiver. Before them stood a doorway to a barren wasteland where only the very tips of the trees of Menos Forest could be seen. And in the distance, a structure beyond measure loomed before their eyes. "That's Las Noches. Heh. Looks just like I left it: badly destroyed." Ichigo commented, pointing out the structure to those who hadn't seen it before.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's _go_ already!" an impatient Ririn huffed, eager to get to their destination. Everyone linked hands with one another, then as soon as the portal was complete, jumped through the gap into the other world.

* * *

"Well, that's that." Kon sighed, cracking his neck and stretching. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going out on patrol." and with that, he jogged off toward the ladder that led up to the shop.

"I'm going too!" Chizuru called. "Wait for me, Karakura King!" then she ran off after him. Following her were the other members of the Karakura Super Heroes and the Karakura-Raizer Team, except for Yuzu and Keigo. "No way am I doin' _that_ again. That was _way_ too dangerous!" the brown-haired teenager stated, a fearful expression on his face as he watched the other kids, teenagers, and adult run off. "I'm not going either. I'm not very good with confrontations." Yuzu agreed with him, still standing by her father. "I'm not the aggressive type like Ichi-nii and Karin-chan."

"Same here." Keigo answered, giving her a small grin of encouragement. "I leave the fighting to Chad and Ichigo most of the time. They're the ones who are good at it."

"Well, I guess we'd better be heading back home." Ishida commented after a minute of silence. "I'll see you tomorrow at school Sado-kun, Inoue-san, Asano-san." he waved as he left, giving his friends and classmate a small smile. Following his lead, the others left too, until finally the only ones left were Isshin and his old friend, Urahara Kisuke.

"You think they'll be able to handle it in there?" Isshin asked the other former Shinigami Captain. "I mean, you know what the report from Yamamoto Soutaicho said. About the Espada that survived... number 9?"

"I'm not gonna worry about it. Those guys are well prepared for anything they come across." Urahara answered calmly, completely confident in the team's abilities. "And that being formerly known as Aaronniero Arruruerie can't do much of anything without his heart and a good portion of his soul."

* * *

"I thought we would end up on the surface, like we saw earlier. How'd we get down into the Menos Forest already?" Ichigo asked the red-haired Mod Soul when they stepped into Hueco Mundo and the gate closed behind them. The boy didn't answer, but his little sister piped up for him. "His specialty is portals, remember? He teleported us down here on purpose. Right, Nova?" Ririn asked, looking up at her 'older' brother. He may have been created after her, but he still appeared to be seventeen physically.

The teenager nodded, then looked around at their surroundings. "Nice spot you picked, Nova. I don't see any Hollows around at all! This was the perfect entry place to get started on our mission!" Kurodo praised, clapping his younger friend on the back. "That _was_ the idea," he replied, blushing a little at the praise and smiling lightly at his friend in a slightly teasing manner.

"You may have spoken too soon, guys." Hisagi whispered, his eyes locked onto a being that was approaching their group at an alarming speed. The mystery creature was clad in the tattered black shihakusho of a Shinigami, and wore a mantle made of fur and covered with the white masks of slain Hollows. Another Hollow mask covered his face, shielding his identity. At his hip rested a blade with a green and gold hilt, but it didn't stay at his hip for long. The being drew it wordlessly as he neared the group, preparing to strike the member who was closest first: Ichigo. In a deep voice, he called out an unfamiliar phrase: "Tsuki ni naku, Ginrei Ookami!" [Cry to the Moon, Silver Wolf!]

"No way..." Rukia gasped as the man flew at Ichigo, who quickly drew his own zanpakuto to block the man's attack. "_Ashido_?!"

At her words, the assailant froze, turning to her with a short gasp of surprise. "_Rukia_?" he whispered quietly and in shock, pulling off the mask and his mantle, exposing his face to the group.

"It _is_ you!" Rukia cried as she flung her arms around his waist, clinging to him in an unexpected hug. "I thought you were lost forever in that rockslide when the cavern collapsed!"

Ashido finally calmed down and smiled at her, sheathing his Zanpakuto at his hip as he joked, "You'd have to do better than _that_ to bring _me_ down. I've been in situations worse than that thousands of times."

"I'm so glad you're all right." the young woman sighed happily, pulling away from the hug and returning to stand at Ichigo's side.

...

"So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Ashido asked a while later when they'd arrived at his cave-home. "No pun intended." he chuckled.

"We're on a sort of rescue mission, from Head Captain Yamamoto. We were ordered to bring two people back to either Soul Society or the Living World. Two people that don't belong here, in this bleak, barren wasteland where only Hollows exist." Rukia explained for the Shinigami from the past.

"_You_ are one of those two. The other is a mystery. We were only told that we would meet a friend in Las Noches, and that this individual would help us find the second person." Hisagi added, continuing where Rukia left off.

"Me?" Ashido asked, shocked for the second time that day. "You were sent here to rescue... _me_?" he gasped, hardly believing his own ears. After all this time, would he finally be able to return to Soul Society and his squad? Would the 'Lone Wolf of Hueco Mundo' finally return to his pack?

It was then that he finally noticed Nova, who was standing toward the back of the group, trying unsuccessfully to blend into the shadows. Ashido's blue eyes widened as they met the emerald ones of the teenaged Mod Soul. Aside from their eye color, it was like looking into a mirror! Albeit a younger version with different clothing.

"Who in the world are _you_?"

* * *

End of chapter 3

Next chapter teaser: Heart of the Hero

Aww, I made Nova-kun cry. Sorry buddy. And he talks a lot more now than in the show. Maybe he's finally getting over his shyness.

Yeah, I made Kaien and Isshin friends in this story. It could've happened. You never know. Besides, I'll need that friendship to explain something that happens later on.

I'll leave the identity of the 'eavesdropper' up to you. Originally it was going to be Karin, but then I remembered that Yuzu could see spirits too, in later episodes. So, _you_ choose which sister it is!

Aww. Hisagi's right, Ichigo should show his compassionate side more often. We hardly ever see it, and it's so cute when he _does_ show it.

I have this feeling that almost every squad considers Ichigo an honorary member of their team, or at least some of their members do (Not too sure about Kurotsuchi and Kuchiki-taichou), considering how much he's helped them in the past.

I didn't mean Aaronniero's literal, physical _heart_, but you'll find out what I mean in a coming chapter.

I totally made up that Shikai release for Ashido-san, as well as the name of his sword. I got the inspiration from a picture on Deviantart, titled 'the Wolf of Hueco Mundo', by Rtenzo. Although, that picture shows his Bankai, but I'll get to that later. I made up that 'Lone Wolf' nickname too. Just pretend that's what the Adjuchas call him.

I wasn't the first to notice that Ashido and Nova look almost exactly alike, and I probably won't be the last. If you wanna see the two together to compare them, I got the inspiration from another pic on Deviantart called 'Think again', by Urbanpirate.


	4. Heart of a Hero

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 4: Heart of a Hero

* * *

"_Who in the world are _you_?"_ Ashido breathed, gaping at the boy who could be his twin brother. Nova merely stood there in silence, equally surprised by the other man's appearance. Ichigo looked from one man to another, finding it amusing that he'd never noticed the similarities before. Finally, the shy mod soul spoke.

"Nova. Nice to meet you." he whispered, staring at his feet the whole time, but he offered his hand to the Shinigami anyway. Ashido looked confused at first, but then shrugged and shook the boy's hand. "Ah, so you're in a gigai. I guess whoever made it formed it like that on purpose." he guessed, sensing the physical make-up of the body that Nova was using.

"No, this is what I really looked like," Nova explained. "when I was alive." He continued to study his feet, but Rukia noticed the intense pain reflected in his eyes as he spoke. "It's a long story. My resemblance to you is purely coincidental." he offered as an elaboration when Ashido looked at him with a confused expression.

"Mysteries will never cease, will they?" Ashido remarked to himself, shaking his head. "And there's one in particular that's raising quite a bit of interest among the Hollows here. In Las Noches. Some kind of experiment, I think."

"Experiment?" Rukia asked, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know all the details, but apparently one of the 'Espada' is conducting a secret experiment in the ruins of the laboratory in Las Noches. Something about separating Hollows from another entity, and healing that being. I don't understand it, and it's never bothered me much until now." he explained, scratching the side of his head in a nonchalant manner. "Maybe that's the other person you were sent here to retrieve."

"Ashido-san, do you know which of the Espada is doing these experiments?" Ichigo asked, fearful that one of his old enemies had survived the war. He quickly went through all of the Espada in his head, checking off the ones he knew to be dead. _Yammy, Stark, Barragan, Halibel, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, Grimmjow, Szayel Apporro, Zommari... all dead. But what about number 9, that Aaronniero guy? No, he's dead too. Otherwise, Rukia wouldn't be here._

"I believe her name is Neliel Tu Odershvank." the Shinigami answered, and Ichigo relaxed. _That's right. I forgot that Nel used to be an Espada._ "Her, and her Fraccíon: Dondochakka and Pesche Gautische."

"Well that's good. She's a friend. She must be the one who's supposed to help us." Rukia realized, putting the pieces together in her mind. "But who or what is she healing?"

"_That_ I do not know." Ashido replied, shaking his head. "I just know that there's something weird going on in that lab, and now I'm _really_ curious as to exactly what it is." he walked around his room and began packing all of his supplies into a large sack, which he tied and shouldered once he'd finished. "Alright everyone. Let's get moving. It'll be nice to finally leave this accursed Menos Forest behind once and for all." _Maybe I'll even have a chance to rejoin my old squad, when we return to Soul Society... but I shouldn't get my hopes up. After all these years, they've probably forgotten me completely. _A million thoughts began to buzz around in his head, but he didn't voice any of them aloud._ I wonder how much Squad 11 has changed in these past centuries? There's bound to be a new Captain, and possibly a new Lieutenant. Who knows? Maybe nothing about Seireitei stayed the same. I wonder if my friend Maki Ichinose is still around?_

The rogue Shinigami's thoughts buzzed around like irritated hornets in his head, stinging him periodically when a particularly painful one came to his attention. He was forcibly reminded of the fate of his other comrades, the men and women who'd come with him into Hueco Mundo in pursuit of a retreating Menos. _They're all dead, as they have been for years. I'm the only one left. All alone._ As he followed the rescue team, made up of friends he'd met before and new faces alike, he amended that statement. _No. I'm not alone anymore. I've got Rukia and the others on my side. I'm finally heading home._

* * *

"This doesn't make sense." Pesche growled, confused and irritated at the situation in which he found himself. "He should have regained consciousness by now. Why isn't he waking up?" he asked himself rhetorically as he pounded his fist against the console, narrowly avoiding the buttons that when pushed, would undoubtedly cause a massive malfunction.

"Problems, Pesche?" Neliel asked, wiping her face off with a cloth after her sparring session with her 'big brother' Dondochakka.

"I just don't get it." the Fraccíon sighed. "By all accounts, and my calculations, he should be awake by now. His body is fully recovered, as is his reiatsu. Heck, he's even got his zanpakuto back! But he just won't open his eyes!" he growled in frustration, moving to hit the console again and freezing at the last second. Beating up the machinery wouldn't help anyone right now. Especially not the man in the recovery tank.

Neliel may not have known much about science, or healing people, but she _did_ know that most people who were supposed to be alive have a pulse. "Uh, Pesche? Why isn't his heart beating?" she asked her other 'big brother'.

"It _is_ beating, but it's too quiet for us to hear. Not even the machines can detect it." he explained. "He's breathing too, but it's super shallow. It's as if he's in a coma. He's missing almost all of his soul, there's only a small fraction of it left inside him, the minimum amount necessary to keep him alive. According to the data we've gathered from that Hollow, Metastacia, this guy said in his last moments that 'he could leave his heart here'. That is, he left it with two people that he'd cared about in life: a Kuchiki Rukia, and someone named Isshin. I don't know who this 'Isshin' person is, but that 'Rukia' is the same one who defeated Aaronniero in his tower."

"Oh, her! Itsygo's friend! I remember her!" the Espada recalled, clapping her hands together. "But what about that 'Isshin' guy? Does he have a last name?"

"Like I said, I don't know who he is. Just that he was this guy's friend." Pesche answered, pointing a thumb at Kaien, who was still floating in the recovery tank. Covering his mouth was a breathing mask with tubes that connected to a respirator to help him breathe, and his 'modest area' was obscured by a black pair of shorts. "Apparently, his last conscious thought was a farewell to his friend, and I quote, 'Sayonara... Isshin, my friend. Gomennasai-'"

"Why would he be apologizing?" Neliel wondered to herself, and Pesche shrugged, overhearing her musings. "Who knows?"

...

"Does he really _need_ to be in that tank anymore, if all his wounds are healed and his body is completely reconstructed?" Neliel asked the Hollow a few minutes later, and he scratched the back of his head.

"I guess not. It's not doing that much good anymore anyway." he shrugged, pushing a combination of buttons on the console that would gradually drain the fluid from the tank. When it had emptied, Pesche pressed a few more buttons to raise the glass portion of the cylinder away from the base and back into the top, opening the space and allowing access to the comatose Soul Reaper.

"This is gonna be the tricky part." Pesche sighed to himself after they'd placed Kaien's unconscious body on a mobile stretcher not unlike the kind they use in hospitals in the Living World. Neliel looked at him in confusion. "This breathing mask won't reach too far, and we'll need to move him to the center of the lab for the rest of the procedures. Neliel-sama, could I ask you to quickly switch the masks while I divert the power from one respirator to the other?"

"Of course. Just tell me when." she responded with a smile, happy to help her friend in any way she could. She held a hand over the mask on Kaien, and in her other hand rested the mask that was connected to the portable respirator on the ground next to her. Pesche stood at the wall near a machine that acted as a sort of circuit breaker, adjusting the power of a few knobs before turning to her. "Okay, on my mark: three... two... one... Now!"

"Now!" Neliel cried at the same time, switching the breathing masks as fast as she could and securing the new one around the man's head. On the other side of the room, Pesche turned off the power that was flowing to the respirator connected to the recovery tank, and switched it to the mobile respirator that they would now be using. After a few seconds, Neliel called, "It worked, Pesche! He's still breathing!"

"Good." the Hollow sighed in relief, walking over to his commander and looking down at the motionless Shinigami. The only indication that he was still alive came from the barely-noticeable rise and fall of his chest, caused by his shallow breathing. He wheeled another smaller machine over to the stretcher, then started connecting electrodes and wires to various points on the man's body to monitor his heartbeats. "This baby'll tell us if his heart's still beating. It's a lot more sensitive than the older one that we were using. See? It's already picking up his pulse." he pointed to the screen, and Neliel watched the squiggly line as it moved up and down. "It's like ripples on the water's surface..." she observed, cocking her head and studying it appreciatively. "I'm guessing that it's a bad thing if the line goes flat?"

"Yeah, that means that his heart has stopped." Pesche answered distractedly as he hooked up more wires to the 'experiment'. "It's really supposed to look like waves on a sea during a storm. One of the peaks goes really high, then drops below the baseline, then goes up a bit, then down, then repeats." he explained, but then he went off-topic. "Neliel-sama? Would you mind opening the shutters in the ceiling? We should let in some light to this room. Maybe it'll help him recover faster."

"Good idea." Neliel agreed, jumping twenty feet into the air and sliding the nearest shutter open with her hand. She repeated that action for the three other shutters scattered around the room, and smiled when all four had been opened, filling the dark room with light. _Much better. I seem to recall that sunlight is good for humans. I'm guessing Shinigami aren't that much different in that respect._ she thought to herself.

"Now all we need is the other parts of his soul." Pesche sighed, putting a hand behind his head and rubbing his neck. "But how're we supposed to get those?"

* * *

"Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, and the Mod Soul that was borrowing her brother's body turned around. "No, you're Kon, right?" the girl amended, and he nodded. "I'm taking care of his body until he gets back from Hueco Mundo, remember?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling kindly, though there was a hint of teasing in there somewhere too.

"Yeah, I know. It's just weird thinking that you're not my brother, but it's still my brother's body..." she commented conversationally as she launched a flaming soccer ball at a nearby attacking Hollow, cracking its mask and disintegrating the monster. Elsewhere, Karakura-Raizer Beast and Karakura Pink were dispatching more Hollows that had materialized. _There sure are a lot of Hollows lately. Wonder what's happening..._ Karin thought to herself as she helped Karakura-Raizer take down a third Hollow.

"Hey, Kon? Are there usually this many Hollows that Ichi-nii has to deal with? It seems like they're popping up more than usual this past week." she observed, and the Mod Soul shrugged. "Sometimes they're more active than others. It just depends. Just 'cause there's more of them than usual doesn't necessarily mean that something's happening."

"Exactly, little girl!" the Shinigami with the afro laughed, suddenly landing beside them and slinging his zanpakuto over his shoulder. "Hollow attacks can fluctuate randomly just like the waves of the sea. Sometimes, there are only small ripples, and other times there can be huge tsunamis!" he exclaimed, using grand gestures to illustrate his words, making both Kon and Karin sweatdrop.

"Afro-san, are you on our team, too?" the girl asked, and a vein popped on the man's temple. "It's Zennosuke! Kurumadani Zennosuke! Why can't you people ever remember my name?!" he cried, tears cascading from his eyes. "I was assigned to this town months ago, yet no one even remembers that I'm here! Just a bit of acknowledgement, that's all I ask!" he wailed, rubbing his eyes with his forearm.

"Alright, alright, calm down, mister." Karin assuaged, feeling sorry for the man and more than a little embarrassed. "I was just asking what you're business is here in Karakura. What do you mean, 'you were assigned to this town'?"

Kurumadani sniffled, then straightened up proudly, all tears suddenly gone from his face as he announced his purpose. "I was sent here to be the Shinigami protector of this town. It is my job to purify Hollows and protect the people of this town, living and dead. Of course, it is also my duty to send those souls of the departed to Soul Society. But people like you two just confuse the hell outta me! Regular humans shouldn't be able to see me! And all these teenagers and kids with unnatural abilities. No one bothered to explain anything to me!" At this, the tears started up again, and Karin sweatdropped again. _Geez. I guess they just sent him here to keep him outta the way in Soul Society..._

"Hey, Kon? Would you mind continuing without me? I'll show Mr. Afro around and try to explain things a little better to him." Karin asked, and the Mod Soul nodded. "Sure, sis. See ya later then." and with that, he bounded off using his enhanced leg strength.

"Okay, you know who my brother is, right?" Karin asked, and Kurumadani made a face as he thought. "He's that Shinigami Substitute, right? The human who got Soul Reaper powers from Kuchiki Rukia?"

"Right." Karin nodded. "Kon, a Mod Soul, is borrowing Ichi-nii's body to fight off some of the Hollows in this town. You just saw him. He also goes by the title of 'Karakura-Raizer' or 'Karakura King'." she explained as they walked around town. On their way past the park, they passed Keigo on the sidewalk. "Asano-san! Hey, c'mere for a sec."

"Hey, whaddaya know? It's Ichigo's kid sister and Afro-san!" Keigo laughed, waving to his 'friends'. "Keigo is one of Ichigo's classmates and friends. He can see people like you and Hollows because Ichi-nii's spiritual energy was unstable in the beginning. It affected almost all of us, in different ways. Keigo's not too good at fighting, but he's exceptionally good at running away. His hero-codename is 'Karakura-Raizer Delicate'." Karin supplied.

"Yep. That's me." Keigo affirmed, giving them a thumbs-up. "Hey!" he squawked when he realized what Karin said. "That's not the only thing I'm good at!"

"Whatever." Karin laughed and shrugged, and he shrugged as well. Since they were headed in opposite directions, he to the juice shop and her to the Kurosaki Clinic, they parted ways at the park entrance. After a bit more walking, they bumped into Chizuru, and Karin explained her role as well. "Her codename is 'Karakura-Raizer Erotic'. She's also a classmate of Ichigo's. She's not really suited for combat either, although she's actually pretty good when it comes to facing female opponents. I won't go into _why_, though."

"How did your brother's reiatsu affect you, little girl?" Kurumadani asked, turning to his guide.

"Actually, I've always been able to see ghosts, but it's only recently that I actually believe they exist. I can see Hollows too, now. Ever since that one attacked our house when Ichi-nii became a Shinigami. My sister, on the other hand, she wasn't affected nearly as much. She can sense presences, but I don't think she can see them clearly. At least, not clearly enough to do anything about it." Karin explained. "That and the fact that she's not a fighter like me and Ichi." she shrugged. "And my name's Karin. Kurosaki Karin, the REAL Karakura Red!"

"So the younger generation is codenamed after colors, and the team of teenagers is Karakura-Raizer names?" Kurumadani asked, still confused.

"I guess you could put it that way." Karin shrugged. "Jinta and I always argue about who should be Red, but we all know that the title is rightfully mine. Personally I think Blue fits him better. He always wears those blue shorts, so that fits. Yuzu, my sister, is 'Karakura Yellow', and Ururu, his sister, is 'Karakura Pink' and 'Karakura-Raizer Tiny Devil'. I don't know why she's on both teams, but it works, so I don't really care." she shrugged again, this time with a nonchalant air.

"Karakura-Raizer Spirit' is Don Kan'onji the spirit medium, and also 'Karakura Gold'. He actually started the 'colors' team, but then merged with Karakura-Raizer team when that Hollow-fortress appeared." Karin continued as they walked, almost to the clinic. "The last one of the older team is 'Karakura-Raizer Beast', who is Tatsuki Arisawa, another classmate of Ichi's and a childhood friend as well. Speaking of which..." Karin grinned as the person in question walked around the corner.

"Hey, Tatsuki." Karin greeted, and the teenager smiled. "Hey yourself, Karin. Afro-san." she answered, nodding to both of them. "I was just on my way to the practice arena. Gotta get in shape for the Regionals tournament coming up!" she announced, clenching her fist proudly.

"Good luck in that!" Karin wished, and Tatsuki grinned wider. "I was just explaining everything to Kurumadani-san. No one in Soul Society bothered to fill him in on the details."

"Good idea. We kinda need all the help we can get, especially since Keigo's more or less completely useless when it comes to Hollows." Tatsuki admitted, and four blocks away, the young man in question sneezed.

"Like I said, this is 'Karakura-Raizer Beast'. She uses her skills in karate and boxing to eliminate Hollows in seconds flat. I personally prefer a soccer ball, but that's just me." Tatsuki grinned at the assessment, nodding in approval. "_Somebody's_ gotta teach those monsters not to mess with our hometown."

Right." Karin agreed, a determined grin on her face. "I'll see you later, Kurosaki!" Tatsuki called over her shoulder as she continued to her destination.

"Yeah, ja ne, Tatsuki-chan!" Karin called back, and the teenager disappeared around another corner.

"What about that giant young man and the young woman with long auburn hair? I almost always see them with the substitute."

"Oh, that's Sado 'Chad' Yasutora and Inoue Orihime. They're Ichi-nii's best friends. Chad has abilities kinda like a Hollow. He can make a powerful shield out of his right arm, and a really destructive weapon out of his left arm. I believe the names of the weapons are Spanish. In our language, they're translated 'Right arm of the Giant' and 'Left arm of the Devil'." she explained. "Orihime has the 'Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield'. Three of them can make a shield that rejects things outside of the barrier, another two can reject things within the barrier, like healing stuff, and the last one can reject things on both sides of the barrier, cutting the enemy in half." Karin summarized. "That's what she told me about her powers. No one's ever seen anything like her abilities. They're completely unique."

"And then there's that Quincy..." Kurumadani muttered, and Karin heard him. "Yeah, that's Ishida Uryuu. He's one of Ichigo's friends too, although he didn't get his powers from my brother. He was born with them. His father and grandfather are both Quincy's also."

"So, what team are _they_ on?" Kurumadani asked, half to himself and half out loud. "They're part of the 'A-team'. Ichi-nii, Ishida, Chad, Inoue, and Rukia. The rest of us are just the backup reinforcements. We handle the stuff at home while they're in either Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, wherever the battle takes them. We make sure that they have a home to come back to." Karin stated proudly, happy that she was able to do something to protect the town she loved and all the people in it.

"Oh, excuse me for a sec..." Karin said suddenly, spotting a Hollow several football-fields away and booting her soccer ball at its face. The Hollow disintegrated upon contact with the ball, and to Kurumadani's immense surprise, the ball bounced right back into its owner's hands. "I asked Urahara-san to modify my ball so that it could purify Hollows and return to me after I kicked it. It was a lot of work to pay off the debt, but it was totally worth it. Now I can send those unfortunate souls to Soul Society instead of destroying them like Ishida-san does with his arrows." she slipped the soccer ball back into its bag, then slung it over her shoulder.

"Don't you... resent that you have to deal with all of this? Don't you wish that you could just be a normal human and go about your life as if Hollows and all that never existed?" Kurumadani asked, honestly curious.

"Eh, sometimes I do. But then I remember that if it wasn't me doing it, it would just be someone else. I'd rather it'd be me. Then I can protect the innocent people who don't know a thing about the spirit world or Hollows or any of that. I can also protect my friends, and my family." she shrugged, impressing her adult companion._ Such a noble thought, for one so young. She can't be more than eleven or twelve years old, yet she has to carry so much responsibility at such a tender age._

"You know what the biggest problem is, though?" Karin observed, and Kurumadani looked down at the sudden change in tone. "We can take care of the Hollows and stuff easily when Ichi-nii's away, but it's the 'Plus' souls that we can't really do anything for. I mean, none of us have a Zanpakuto that we can use to perform a Konso. That's a Shinigami's job."

"Well what am _I_, chop suey?" Kurumadani chuckled. "In case you haven't noticed, I happen to have a zanpakuto, and consider myself quite practiced at performing Soul Burials. I would be happy to assist you and your friends and family in helping the souls of this town find peace."

"Really? Awesome!" Karin exclaimed, honestly relieved that they'd found a way to help the spirits of the town. _That'll mean less Hollows to deal with too! I'm glad we finally found a solution for that problem._

"Well, here we are." Karin announced five minutes later, as they approached the Kurosaki clinic. "My house. And Ichi's, and my sister, and our Dad. Oi, Yuzu! Are you up there?" the girl called, and soon, a blonde-haired girl poked her head out the window. "Right here, Karin-chan! I'll be right down!"

"Hello, Kurumadani-sama. It's nice to meet you. I'm Kurosaki Yuzu, Ichigo's other little sister and 'Karakura Yellow'." she introduced herself when Karin had introduced the Soul Reaper. Kurumadani nodded his greeting. _So _she's_ the one who got dragged into Hell. The first living human to enter Hell, and come out alive..._ _with her brother's help, of course._

"Where's Pop?" Karin asked, and Yuzu looked concerned. "He said he had something to take care of. He's in the clinic office, working on something. I tried to bring him lunch, but he told me not to come in, he was so busy. I sure hope nothing's wrong." the girl worried, wringing her hands slowly.

"Ah, he's fine." Karin shrugged, waving it off. "According to what our brother told us, Dad was a former Captain in Soul Society, though I don't know which squad he was. I never got around to asking him about it, and neither has Ichi. That might explain why Ichi's so strong, and it might even explain why we can see spirits too." Kurumadani's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his afro at this revelation, surprising, considering how bushy they were.

_It seems there's even more going on in this town than I realized..._ the Soul Reaper thought to himself.

_And I suspect that I have not even scratched the surface with what I've learned today._

He had no idea how right he was.

* * *

"Now, let's see..." Isshin Kurosaki mused to himself as he scratched his bearded chin. "Do I have everything in place?" he asked of no one in particular, as he was alone in the office. He listed the necessary items aloud as he mentally checked through the 'inventory' list. "Two comfortable hospital beds? Check. Two generic gigai*? Check. Extra shihakusho uniforms? Check. Two exorcism gloves? Check. Two soul pagers? ...hmm, I'll have to get two of those from Kisuke..." Isshin thought to himself as he finished the list. _Speaking of which, Ichigo should get one of those too, when he gets back. It's a heckuva lot better than an ordinary cell phone, though I think it works like one of those too. Geez. Technology these days._

Bringing himself back to the real world, Isshin checked over the items he'd prepared. "I don't know if the two 'rescuees' are male or female, so I didn't know exactly which gigai to get. I hope that these two male gigai are the right ones." he scratched the back of his head, then shrugged. "Maybe I'll ask Kisuke again. He always knows more about these things than he lets on."

* * *

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_ "Welcome to Urahara Shop! How may I help-" Kisuke Urahara greeted, but then stopped when he saw who had entered his store. "Why, if it isn't young Minamino-san! What can I help you with, young man?"

Shuichi stared at the ground and didn't answer for a long time, drawing random patterns on the floor with his shoes. Finally he whispered, "Mister Urahara? You wouldn't by any chance... know a young man by the name of Nova Minamino... would you?"

Kisuke raised his eyebrows, having not expected the boy to ask such a question. "Nova? _Nova_..." he muttered, feigning ignorance on the subject. "That sounds like a very unique name, but it doesn't ring any bells. Is he a relative of yours?"

"My older brother." Shuichi answered, looking up at the shopkeeper. "I know you've seen him before. He used to come here with me sometimes to buy candy. And I've seen him recently, walking into your shop late at night when the rest of the town was asleep. He had a mask on, but there's no way that I wouldn't be able to recognize him, even if I couldn't see his face."

"Ah! Of course! Little Shuichi. Now I remember!" Urahara gasped happily, continuing his façade. "You always wanted the sour gummy snakes." he smiled, hiding it partially behind his fan. Shuichi stared at the floor and nodded once. "But I'm afraid you're mistaken on the other part. I know for a fact that your brother died two years ago, in a tragic accident. I'm sorry to bring that up again, but that wasn't your older brother that you saw those nights."

"You're lying, mister." Shuichi whispered, small tears coming to his eyes. "I saw him just three days ago, during a soccer game. He even introduced himself as 'Nova'. He looks _exactly_ like my brother, same mannerisms, same build, even the same ...force. I'd always been able to sense something special about my brother, and he's still got that same 'special-ness' about him. It hasn't changed, it's just been... amplified, somehow." he finished, finally glaring up at the shopkeeper, who he knew was not what he seemed.

_This kid's good..._ Urahara thought. _Should I just tell him the truth? He's bound to find out eventually anyway._ He cupped his chin and bowed his head, debating what to do. _The risk is too great,_ he eventually decided._ If I told him the whole truth, it would probably hurt him beyond all hope of repair. Adding to that, I don't want him telling the whole town and making them think I'm some kind of miracle-worker that can raise the dead. No being, human, soul, Hollow, or combination of those can do _that_. _Finally, he came up with a solution. _A little white lie shouldn't do too much damage. It's mostly true, anyway._

"You're right, Shuichi-kun." Urahara sighed, looking back up at the boy, who suddenly snapped his head up in surprise. "I _was_ lying. I didn't want to hurt you, but now I can see how determined you are. So here's the truth. Not the whole truth, because it's far too painful for one so young as yourself to comprehend, but enough of it to ease your conscience." he explained, and Shuichi nodded resignedly, knowing that this was probably the most he was going to get out of the secretive shopkeeper.

"Two years ago, in that terrible accident, your brother didn't die, as everyone thought. He was right on the edge when he arrived at the hospital. The physician, Kurosaki Isshin, is a close friend of mine, and he worked desperately to save your brother's life. Only a small fraction of his soul was left in his body, just enough to keep his heart beating and to keep him breathing. Not nearly enough to return him to consciousness, though. Isshin and I were able to salvage what remained of his soul and heal his body. I won't tell you how we salvaged the remains of his spirit, because it's a long and complicated process that even _I_ don't understand sometimes. When his body was sufficiently healed, and his soul strong enough to rejoin his body, he returned to this plane of existence, that is, to human form, and he 'woke up', as you might say."

Shuichi gasped, overwhelmed by this new information. His brother was really alive! It wasn't just some cruel trick that his senses were playing on him that day!

"However," Urahara continued, popping Shuichi's bubble of hope like a soap bubble. "when he came to, he had no memory of his life before the accident, and could only recall brief flashes of the incident at random times. I was loathe to return his memories, knowing that it would cause him much pain, so I kept my mouth shut and hid him from the world for as long as I could, until either his memories resurfaced on their own, or someone recognized him. It seems that the latter happened first, as he has not yet regained all of his memories." _That was actually closer to the whole truth than I thought it'd be. I don't think he really needs to know about the Bount incident or the fact that Nova is now a modified soul. That's just unnecessary information that would only confuse him._

"Urahara-san?" Shuichi asked after a minute of silence. "Where is my big brother now? I haven't seen him around for a few days."

"Oh, he's on a mission of sorts to a faraway place. I'm not sure when they'll be coming back, but you can rest assured that they _will_ return, and safely. It's a sort of 'rescue mission', and your brother went along to help. I doubt their group will run into any danger, but if they do, I can assure you that they are more than capable of handling it. Nova and the others will be fine." Urahara explained, glad for the change in subject.

"That's good." Shuichi smiled, truly happy for the first time in almost two years. _Nii-sama, come home safely, and soon._

* * *

End of chapter 4

Next chapter teaser: You Only Live Thrice

I put Ashido in Squad 11, just because I didn't know which squad he was really from. And yeah, I made him friends with Ichinose. This is a _fan_fiction story, people. I'm allowed to make whatever connections I want between the characters! So there!

Well, Neliel and Pesche look like they're making good progress on getting Kaien-dono back to normal. Yay! But how are they supposed to find the greater portion of his soul? Luckily, the answer is headed toward them at this very moment.

Oh, and that machine that he's hooked up to? It's an electrocardiograph [EKG].

I never liked how they would never explain things to poor Kurumadani-san, so I had Karin do it. However, it _is_ a little confusing, even_ with_ that explanation.

In case you can't figure it out, Isshin is preparing for the arrival of the two 'rescuees' from Hueco Mundo. He guessed that they would need a bit of medical treatment, and he was right. They're _really_ gonna need it.

*Generic gigai- gigai that are not made to look like anyone in particular, living or dead. The bodies are faceless and bald. More like mannequins than anything else, except these are slightly more lifelike and not made of plastic. What _are_ gigai made of anyway? XD

So, Shuichi finds out that his brother survived. Sort of. And Urahara was mostly telling the truth. He just left out a good bit of it, for Shuichi's sake. The other information would only confuse him.

Well, as Porky Pig of Looney Tunes fame would say: 'I belie-belie-belie-belie-belie-belie-belie-believe That's All, Folks!

Tsunami Storm


	5. You Only Live Thrice

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 5: You Only Live Thrice

* * *

"So, you're a Mod Soul?" Ashido asked his quiet 'twin' as they traveled through the white sand desert to Las Noches. Nova nodded. "But you _were_ human before that."

Nova nodded again. "I was killed by a Hollow while protecting my little brother Shuichi. Somehow Urahara found me and salvaged the remains of my soul and turned me into a Mod Soul. My human body became my first 'gigai', although that one was destroyed in a battle with a rogue Arrancar." the boy explained.

"When exactly did this happen? The Hollow attack, I mean?" Ashido asked, still intrigued by this young man.

"Two years ago." Nova answered, looking down at the ground as he continued to run with the others. "My family is still around in Karakura, but I haven't seen them in two years, except for Shuichi, and we met completely by accident in a soccer game a few days ago."

"Your family must miss you terribly." Ashido said, feeling he could sympathize with this boy. It had been many, many years since he'd heard another human's voice, felt their presence, until Rukia and the others showed up in the Menos Forest the first time. He knew how it felt to be lonely.

"I know _I_ miss _them_..." Nova whispered, and Ashido barely heard it.

"I went to the funeral, Nova." Ichigo commented, his face also downcast. "I was there two years ago. Everyone was there, not just your parents and brother. Your friends, your classmates, everyone. I'll never forget what the minister said for your eulogy." the orange-haired teen said, his mind in the past.

-Flashback-

"Today, we acknowledge... a really terrible loss." the minister announced, looking down at the closed casket as it hung suspended over the hole in the ground.

"Nova Minamino was as you all know, exceptionally hardworking, infinitely fair-minded, and most importantly, a fierce, _fierce_ friend. His death has affected us all, whether we knew him well or not. The pain we feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds _us_, that though we may come from different places or speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. The bonds we share with each other, when presented with the death of a loved one, become more important than ever. Remember that, and Nova Minamino will not have died in vain. You _remember_ that, and we'll celebrate a boy who was... kind and honest, brave, and true, _right_ to the very end."

-End Flashback-

"They..." Nova breathed, stopping with the group to catch their breath. "They really said all that about me?" A tear came to the boy's eye, brimmed up over his eyelid, then cascaded down his cheek to fall to the desert sand below. _I never knew... that I was so loved..._

"That was..." Rukia gasped quietly. "beautiful." she wiped away a tear of her own before it could fall, and Ichigo sniffed. "Yeah. It made _me_ tear up too, which is saying something. I barely even knew you, and yet, from that minister's speech, I felt as though I'd known you my whole life."

"Ichigo-san? Do you think we could continue now? We won't be able to complete our mission by just standing around here." Hanataro asked after a very long, pregnant pause. He didn't want to seem insensitive, but he just got this sense that they were running out of time.

"Yeah. Come on. Let's go, minna-san." Ichigo agreed, and the group resumed their journey to the titanic palace.

* * *

"Shuichi! Shuichi!" Mrs. Menamino called for her son, who was supposed to be at the park with his other friends, which included the daughter of Dr. Kurosaki.

"Coming, Mom!" she heard a faint young voice answer, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since the death of her firstborn son, she had been a little overprotective of little Shuichi. She couldn't bear the thought of losing _both_ her children. Her child ran up to her and stopped just in front of her, beads of sweat clinging to his brow and a wide grin plastered on his face. "I scored _three_ goals today in practice, Mom! Our team captain said I'm getting _really _good!"

"Congratulations, son! I'm very proud of you!" Mrs. Minamino smiled, embracing the boy in a hug. "Now say goodbye to your friends. It's time for dinner."

"Okay, Mom!" Shuichi answered, quickly dashing back to the group to bid his friends farewell until tomorrow. He looked back and waved at them as he left the park, and they answered with enthusiastic waves of their own. "Ja ne, Shuichi-chan! See you tomorrow!"

"Ah. Ja ne, minna-san!" he called back, and both mother and son left the park and stepped into their suburban neighborhood. They didn't live too far from the park at all, so it was a short walk home.

"Tadaima!" Shuichi announced as he opened the front door and took off his sneakers. Beside him, his mother did the same thing with her shoes, and they stepped into the house. "Welcome home, honey, son. Did you have fun at the park with your friends?" Satoshi Minamino asked, and Shuichi nodded happily.

"He told me he scored three goals today, Satoshi." his mother beamed, and Shuichi blushed and nodded again.

"That's my boy!" Mr. Minamino laughed, ruffling his son's hair and giving him a hug from the sofa that he was sitting on. He stood up and gave his wife a peck on the cheek as she busied herself with serving dinner, and the family of three sat around the dinner table.

"Itadakimasu!" they all said in unison, then began to eat. "Pass the onigiri, would you, Nozomi?" Satoshi asked, and his wife smiled and passed the dish to her husband. "Pass the soy sauce, Dad," Shuichi asked a bit later, and he obliged.

After dinner, Shuichi asked his parents if it would be okay if he went for a short walk around their neighborhood, and both agreed, albeit worriedly. They knew that Shuichi could take care of himself, and that their neighborhood was one of the safest in the area, but who knew what kind of monsters could appear out of nowhere and attack at any moment?

Shuichi wandered around the small suburb, eventually coming to the nearby graveyard. His expression turned solemn as he weaved in between the headstones and monuments, trying to show his respect by not stepping directly in front of them, where the bodies had been interred. Eventually he reached his family's tombstone, then he knelt down and prayed for the souls of the family members that had passed on.

"Jii-chan, Ba-chan..." Shuichi prayed. "I hope you are doing well, wherever you are. Can you see me, from way up there in heaven? I just found out something unbelievable. Nii-sama isn't up there with you because he's still alive! I'd thought he died two years ago, but somehow he survived! Isn't that amazing? I'm doing well too, and the same goes for Mom and Dad. Nii-sama's on some kind of journey, according to that odd candy-shop owner, and he'll be coming home soon, I can feel it! Boy will Mom and Dad be surprised!" Shuichi beamed at the headstone, as if expecting it to react in some way. It didn't, of course, but Shuichi kept the smile on his face as he poured a measure of water over the tombstone, yet another way of showing respect for the dead. He bowed once more after he stood up, then walked back in the direction of his house.

"Nii-sama's always been special." Shuichi thought a while later as he continued through the cemetery. "He always had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. And things would always tend to disappear when he was around, then reappear in a totally different location from where they'd started." Shuichi smiled. "I remember the day he discovered his powers of warping space. Like it was only yesterday..."

-Flashback-

"Do it again, Nii-sama!" ten-year-old Shuichi clapped as Nova had made the baseball disappear from his right hand and appear in his left. "Again! Again!"

"Alright, little brother. All right." Nova laughed, preparing to access the energy in the back of his mind that allowed him to rip open a hole in this dimension and into another one entirely. He didn't know _how_ he did it, _where_ it came from, or _what_ he was supposed to do with this ability, but for now it was just a fun and easy way to entertain his beloved little brother. He concentrated, and a small black hole appeared behind his left hand and sucked the baseball into the darkness with an odd noise. Seconds later, a new black hole had appeared, this time behind his right hand, and spat the baseball right into the teenager's open palm.

That's_ never happened before..._ Nova thought to himself as Shuichi clapped and cheered, demanding yet _another_ encore performance. _I've never been able to see the 'portal' when it takes objects or gives them back. What's going on here?_

"That was awesome, big brother!" Shuichi exclaimed, hugging his elder around the middle in a bear hug. "Maybe one day it'll be big enough to use big stuff, like a car, or a person!"

Nova laughed, the far-fetched suggestion bringing his thoughts back to reality. "I don't know if I'm ready for _that_ yet, Shuichi. Just this little hole takes all I have. And this is as far as I can 'send' something. Just from one hand to the other."

"Yeah, I said 'one day', Nii-sama. I didn't mean right this minute!" Shuichi laughed again. Then he turned serious. "Maybe as you get stronger, your 'power' will develop as well."

"Maybe." Nova agreed, smiling at his little brother. _Kami only knows why I have these abilities, but I won't question it. When God sends you a blessing, you don't ask why it was sent._

"Nii-sama? Can we go to the park tomorrow?" Shuichi asked, looking up at his big brother with incredibly cute, green puppy-dog eyes. Nova rolled his own eyes in exasperation, and his smile grew wider. "Sure little brother. Why not?" he answered, and Shuichi practically skipped all the way back home from the candy store, his favorite treat, a bag of gummy snakes, clutched in his hands. _Did I ever have that much energy when_ I_ was his age? That kid eats too much sugar._ Nova thought to himself as he followed his bouncing brother back to their house.

-End Flashback-

* * *

"Finally! We're here!" Ichigo sighed in relief, happy to have reached their destination at last. "Now all we have to do is find this 'lab' that Nel's supposedly in." he stated, scratching his head. How were they gonna find it in _this_ huge place?

"It can't be helped. We'll just have to search everywhere." Nova shrugged, preparing to teleport to the roof of Las Noches, where they could drop in on the enclosed area and start their search from there. He created the portal with little difficulty, and everyone walked through, disappearing from the land of white sands altogether and stepping into another dimension.

"...That was..." Ashido began, not accustomed to that particular mode of transportation, "...different."

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to." Ririn chirped, grinning teasingly at Nova, who turned red and looked away from the group, returning his shield to his back as he did so.

"Ririn, must you always tease him so? It's not very nice." Kurodo chided the younger Mod Soul, but Nova put a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing, Kurodo. Don't worry about it."

"Yes, but-" the shape-shifter continued, but Nova silenced him with a look. "No problem." he repeated, and Kurodo fell silent. "I still think it's mean..." he muttered to himself so that the others couldn't hear. Looking around, he suddenly spotted a large hole in the roof of the palace, just inches behind where he was standing. He flailed comically and stepped away from the gap, running over to stand beside Rukia, who was the farthest from the hole.

"Afraid of heights, Kurodo?" Ririn asked, an evil grin forming on her face. She smelled a blackmail opportunity.

"Absolutely terrified." the shape-shifter trembled, his whole form shaking with tremors.

"Well, unfortunately we're gonna have to jump into this hole." Ichigo told him. "It's the fastest way to get into Las Noches."

"Can't we teleport inside with Nova's abilities?" Kurodo argued, not liking Ichigo's plan one bit.

"I'm tired." Nova breathed, crouching down and lowering his head so that his long hair fell over his eyes.

"Oh, come _on_!" the taller Mod Soul complained, but then he fell silent. It was no easy task to make huge portals out of thin air that were large enough for all of them to use at once, and the air was harder to breathe here than in the World of the Living. It seemed the very atmosphere itself was working against them.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Nova-kun." he apologized. "I should've known that it puts a strain on you every time you use your powers. I was only thinking of myself. Moushiwake arimasen."

"No problem, my friend." Nova answered, smiling up at the older man. "Minna-san, ikuso." and with that, he was the first one to jump into the hole in the roof.

* * *

"Ano, sumimasen..." a young woman asked, and the hooded figure turned toward her. "I'm looking for a specific Zanpakuto. What is your name?"

The figure didn't answer for a while, but finally he replied, "Ryushiro."

"Oh." Sode no Shirayuki answered, that answer not being the one she was looking for. "Never mind. I'm sorry to bother you. Moushikaneru." she whispered as she glided away, her bare feet barely even touching the grass. Meanwhile, the mysterious hooded figure turned in the opposite direction, his cerulean eyes downcast and saddened behind the shadows.

"Forgive me, Sode no Shirayuki." the man whispered. "But until my wielder awakens, none can know that _I_ have returned as well."

He slowly made his way to the lakeshore of the land, which was abandoned but for a few seagoing birds. Their cries nearly drowned out the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath, but not quite. The man took the blade in his right hand, then began twirling it in a large circle. As he did, it began to glow.

"Suiten sakamake!" he growled triumphantly, his eyes glowing with pride as his sword transformed into a three-pronged trident with a blue feather tied just below the prongs, and a corkscrew at the base of the weapon.

"Soon, very soon, I shall reveal myself to the others." the Zanpakuto whispered to himself as he enjoyed the playful breeze of the sea on his face. "When my Shinigami returns, so shall his Zanpakuto. Mark my words, the world hasn't seen the last of Nejibana!"

* * *

"WHEEEEEE!" Ririn cried as she fell through Las Noches with the others. "This is better than those 'roller coaster rides' at an amusement park!" she laughed as she held onto Rukia's arm, but only lightly. Her fellow Mod Souls did not share her opinion. Nova merely closed his eyes and put a hand on Hanataro's shoulder, just so the accident-prone Shinigami wouldn't get separated from the rest of the group. However, Kurodo was whimpering and holding onto Ichigo as if his life depended on it, tears brimming from his eyes and falling up into the air above him as they continued their descent. "Oh, just tell me when it's over! Please, I don't wanna be falling anymore!" he gibbered.

"Kurodo, you're such a baby!" Ririn complained. "Learn to have a little fun once in a while!"

"Leave him alone, Ririn. Everyone has something that they're afraid of." Nova chided, looking at the girl. "After all, _you're_ afraid of spiders." he reminded her, and she shivered involuntarily.

"Urusei!" she shouted, annoyed that he'd remembered that about her. "That brings up a good question though, Nova. What exactly are_ you_ afraid of?" she asked, and the boy looked away, not wanting to face the bad memories. He sighed once, then answered, almost so quietly that no one heard it. "A Hollow. Just one. I see it in my nightmares almost every night."

By this time, the group had reached the ground, and the Shinigami used their ability to fly before landing safely on the sands, holding the group members who weren't able to use such abilities. Ashido helped Hanataro, who like most things was not very good at flying either.

"Really?" Ririn asked her 'older brother', all teasing and humor gone from her face, replaced by sympathy and confusion. The others looked at the boy as well, and Nova blushed, feeling bashful with all the attention.

"Yeah. It was the same Hollow that attacked me and my little brother that night." he explained further. "The one that- that took my life." he whispered, casting his eyes down to the sands beneath his feet, as if wishing to disappear right into it and away from everyone's gaze. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what it looked like. A sickly-green body, a white mask with flaming orange rims around its eye sockets, and magenta-colored tentacles growing out of its back. Not to mention the fact that it was huge."

Rukia gasped just then, her eyes wide with shock and horror. _It couldn't be... the same Hollow?_ Slowly she recovered, growling the name of the accursed monster just loud enough for the others to hear. "Metastacia. The Hollow that killed the Lieutenant of Squad 13: Kaien Shiba."

"You know... I think I remember some of the Adjuchas talking about that a few years ago." Ashido interjected, causing everyone to look at him. "That Hollow, Metastacia, was pretty well-known down in the Menos Forest, even though it was only a regular Hollow, not one of the Menos class. But there was a Gillian that supposedly consumed it. Aaronniero-"

"-Arruruerie. I know." Rukia answered, finishing the name for the older Shinigami when he couldn't remember the rest of it. "the Espada that I fought, number 9."

"Rukia-san, this is gonna sound really far-fetched," Hanataro began. "but do you think that _he_ may be the other person we're supposed to rescue from Hueco Mundo? Lieutenant Shiba, I mean."

Rukia gasped again, this revelation taking her completely by surprise. _No way. He's dead. I know I destroyed him in Aaronniero's palace! It- it _can't_ be him!_

She was spared answering the question, because Ichigo took over then. "There's no way that any of the Espada survived, Hanataro. We would've known before we left Las Noches and Hueco Mundo the first time."

"But think about it, Ichigo-san." Hanataro pressed on, excited that he might actually be on to something. "That particular Hollow was created by Aizen to regenerate itself indefinitely, and it has come back as Shiba-dono before. Also, Ashido-san said that your friend Nel is working on an experiment to separate a Hollow from another entity, and healing that being. What if that being... is a Shinigami? What if it's Kaien Shiba?"

"If you're right, Hanataro, then Soul Society's in for quite a shock. Especially Squad 13." Hisagi commented with a raised eyebrow. "We've never had anybody come back from the dead before. Not counting the former-Captain Aizen. 'cause _he_ faked his death." he joked, lightening the mood a bit. Those who knew what the Lieutenant was talking about chuckled, but those who didn't, namely the Mod Souls and Ashido, just became more confused.

"I'll explain later." Ichigo muttered to Ririn, who looked the most confused out of the group. Off in the distance, Rukia noticed a large dust-cloud forming, and she pointed it out to her companions, who looked in the same direction. "Think we should check it out?" she asked, and everyone nodded, Flash Stepping and carrying other members with them over to the mysterious cloud of dust.

Upon arrival, Rukia and Ichigo immediately sweatdropped, as they recognized both of the beings before them. A giant purple worm-like creature with a white mask was fleeing from what could only be described as a human-like creature wearing a yellow jumpsuit with black spots and a huge head that looked like a Tiki mask from Hawaii. "Not so fast, Bawabawa! I can't catch up, don'cha know!" the smaller being called, but apparently went unheeded by the larger creature.

"Dondochakka? Bawabawa? What in the _world_ are you doing?" Ichigo asked, his sweatdrop growing even bigger in embarrassment that he actually knew these clowns.

"Oh! If it isn't Ichigo, don'cha know!" Dondochakka exclaimed, halting in his pursuit of the giant worm-Hollow and running over to the group. "And the other Soul Reaper with the pretty blade, don'cha know! But, Dondochakka doesn't recognize the others, don'cha know..."

"_We_ have met before, but only briefly." Ashido mumbled, just a little miffed that the Fraccíon hadn't recognized him. But after a minute, he wished he would've held his peace, for Dondochakka recognized him as well and nearly tackled him in a bone-crushing hug. "The rogue Shinigami who saved us from the Menos Forest, don'cha know! Dondochakka had forgotten about you, don'cha know!"

"Does he always finish his sentences like that?" Hisagi whispered aside to Ichigo, who nodded, still wearing the 'I-can't-believe-I-know-this-fruitloop' look on his face. "You get used to it after a while. Poor Renji was stuck with him through most of Las Noches. I don't envy him." he commented, and Hisagi agreed. "I can see why."

Getting straight to the point, Rukia walked up to the Fraccíon and asked, "Where is Nel and her other companion, Pesche? Can you two take us to them?"

"Why of course, don'cha know! Just hop on Bawabawa and we'll be there faster than you can say 'rubber-baby-buggy-bumpers' five times fast without making a mistake, don'cha know!" Dondochakka laughed, and when the group sweatdrop disappeared, they all climbed on Bawabawa's back and the worm-Hollow slithered off toward the remains of Szayel Aporro's palace.

"I guess they were playing 'Eternal Tag' earlier." Ichigo whispered to Rukia as Bawabawa slid through the sands. The female Shinigami nodded, and Ichigo added, "Wonder how Nel's doing. It's gotta be pretty boring around here nowadays, now that Las Noches is pretty much deserted."

* * *

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_ "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Trespassers spotted within Las Noches! Trespassers spotted within Las Noches!" the warning alarm sounded, and Neliel and Pesche looked up in surprise. "Who could it be?!" they cried in unison, temporarily forgetting all about their experiment for a moment. Then Neliel remembered and glanced over at the young man on the hospital bed.

"If this is another raid like during the war, we're pretty much done for." Pesche huffed. "You remember what happened to all the Espada when all those Captains and Lieutenants from Soul Society got here. If they come in here, we're screwed."

"Pesche! Watch your language!" Neliel reprimanded, not liking the fact that her Fraccíon had such a foul vocabulary.

"What? It's true!" he argued. "I mean, it's not like we can just pack up and run for it. We've got _this_ guy to worry about. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna waste all the hard work we've gone through in healing 'im."

"Plus he's a living, sentient being. It would be wrong to just let him die. Not when he can't do anything about it." Neliel agreed. Despite herself, she had grown a bit fond of the young man, even though she had no clue what he was like. Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of a strong, caring, protective Shinigami that looked almost exactly like him; the Shinigami to whom she owed her life: Ichigo.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door to the lab, and Neliel let out a shriek of surprise and just a bit of fear. "Pesche," she whispered frantically. "What are we going to do?"

* * *

End of chapter 5

Next chapter teaser: Hearts are Forever

I took that eulogy for Nova almost entirely from 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', the book and the movie. (Mostly the movie.) All credit for Harry Potter goes to J. K. Rowling and I believe, Mike Newell, who directed the fourth movie of the series. Thanks for a fantastic world we can lose ourselves in, guys!

For the flashback in Shuichi's 'section', anyone who has read my first-ever story on here might recognize one of Nova's thoughts. (Hint: it's in _italics_ in both stories). If you recognize it, mention it in a review and you get a cookie!

What are you doing, Nejibana? Lying to Sode no Shirayuki like that! You meanie! And what's with that fake name? I'm already using that for one of my other stories! (again, If you can identify where it's from and mention it in a review, you get a free cookie! Lucky you!)

That's crazy talk, Hanataro, where'd you get _that _idea? ...Oh, wait. That was _my _idea. Hee-hee!

I don't really know how to describe facial expressions, so I just went with a humorous description for what expression goes with a sweatdrop. *snorts in amusement* I-can't-believe-I-know-this-fruitloop. Sometimes, I amuse even myself.

Yeah, Pesche, you should watch your language! There might be kids reading this! XD

Tsunami Storm

Proverb of the day: Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they will never cease to be amused.


	6. Hearts Are Forever

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 6: Hearts are Forever

* * *

_Suddenly, a knock came at the door to the lab, and Neliel let out a shriek of surprise and just a bit of fear. "Pesche," she whispered frantically. "What are we going to do?"_

The knock sounded again, and Pesche walked over to it, despite the fact that his whole body was shaking. "We'll just have to open the door and hope for the best. You never know, maybe they're friendly." After all, who would be polite enough to knock when they could very easily just break the door down?

"Be careful, Pesche." Neliel cautioned, standing protectively in front of the gurney that supported the comatose Shinigami. The Fraccíon nodded, holding up a 'thumbs-up' over his shoulder so that his commander could see it. He cracked open the heavy door, and looked out with one of his gold eyes. Suddenly he flung the door wide open and allowed the light from Las Noches to stream in, running to the person in the front of the group and jumping on him in a hug.

"Ichigo! Who knew it was you?!" Pesche cried happily as he embraced his friend in a big hug, and the surprised Substitute Soul Reaper responded with a friendly pat on the back. "Good to see you too, Pesche." he answered with a smile, nodding his greeting to Neliel, who nodded back with a wide smile.

"I see you've brought some new friends, Itsygo," she stated, smiling in a friendly way at her friend's companions, who all smiled back. "although I've seen you two before." she continued, looking at Rukia and Ashido, who both nodded again.

Suddenly Rukia spotted the bed behind the last of the Espada, and she cocked her head in confusion. She couldn't see the figure's face, as Neliel was standing in front of it, but she did see that the person was wearing a black shihakusho, classifying them as a Shinigami. She edged toward the mysterious being, trying to see what the face looked like, and Neliel sheepishly moved to the side to reveal the individual's identity.

GASP!_ It can't be... _she thought to herself. _Hanataro was right! It _is_ him! _Rukia took a step back again, back to Ichigo and her group of friends, memories of Aaronniero haunting her consciousness. Neliel noticed her apprehension, and smiled in a calming way. "I know what you're thinking, and don't worry. He's completely himself once again. Aaronniero Arruruerie is no more, and neither is that other Hollow, Metastacia. He's free of all influences of the Hollows, and has returned to his true spirit." she assured, erasing the fears of the member of Squad 13. "Mostly." she added as an afterthought, and Ichigo cocked his head in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'mostly'? What's going on here?" he asked, frowning at the comatose body that was laying in the bed.

"For some unknown reason, we have discovered that this guy is missing almost _all_ of his soul. There's only a tiny bit left that remained with his body, the minimum amount necessary to keep him alive." Pesche explained, and Nova raised an eyebrow. _Just like me..._ he thought silently to himself. "Half of his spirit, or his _heart_, if you prefer, went to the closest living being that was present when he died, and the other half went to a close friend of his, some guy named Isshin." he continued.

Both Rukia and Ichigo gasped at this new information, but for different reasons. It was obvious why Rukia was shocked, but the orange-haired Shinigami was taken aback for a _whole_ different reason._ My _Dad_ was friends with this guy in Soul Society? Is _that_ why he and I look so much alike?_ he asked himself, looking at the motionless Soul Reaper on the bed and comparing him to his own reflection. _I don't know what his eye color is, but if I had black hair and prominent lower eyelashes like he does, we could be identical twins!_

"My _father_?" Ichigo breathed incredulously, finally voicing his surprise so that everyone could hear it. Everyone looked at him in disbelief, and Rukia felt just a little embarrassed that she hadn't made the connection before. "Of course! As Pesche said, part of Kaien-dono's soul went to his friend, Kurosaki Isshin, and through him passed to _you_, his firstborn son. That would explain why you look so much alike." she explained for her confused group of friends and the Substitute Soul Reaper, who eventually nodded after a time of deep thought.

"I guess that makes sense." he answered, looking down at the ground and shuffling his feet, embarrassed by all the attention. "Now the question is, how do I put it _back_?" he asked, looking to Neliel's Fraccíon for an answer. Rukia looked up at him as well, as the other part of Kaien Shiba's soul rested within her.

"Good question, Ichigo." Pesche answered, walking over to another machine and turning it on. "This is a Reishi Transfer machine. Basically, it analyzes the subject in one pod, in this case, you or Rukia-chan, scans for anything that shouldn't be there, removes it, and transfers it to the subject in the other pod. Unfortunately, there are only two pods, so one of you will have to wait while the other undergoes the 'Transference'." he explained, gently patting one of the pods affectionately. "So," he began with a smile, "who wants to go first?"

Rukia and Ichigo looked at each other, then the smaller Shinigami nodded. "I'll do it. I suppose it's poetic justice, in a way. I'm the one who took his life. It only fits that I should be the first to give it back." Rukia stated, climbing into one of the pods. The other pod, which was facing in the opposite direction, would be Kaien's. With some help from Nova and Ichigo, Pesche placed the nearly-soulless Shinigami in the second pod and attached seven electrodes to various points on his body. Opposite him, Neliel was doing the same thing to Rukia, with Ririn's help.

"These electrodes will sync with your chakras, and aid in the transference." Pesche explained as he pushed a few buttons on the main console and closed the screens of the pods. "I've never undergone this procedure myself, but I'm told that you will not experience any physical pain. And I don't think it will take too long, either, but that depends on how much of his spirit you possess." he stated as he turned his golden eyes to the pod containing Rukia. "Are you ready?"

The young woman nodded. "As I'll ever be."

Pesche nodded as well, then pressed the button to begin the transference. A tube that connected the two pods began to glow with a soft blue light, and Ichigo and his friends could actually see the reishi particles as they migrated from one pod to the other. The machine was actually siphoning off the excess soul that was not originally a part of Rukia and joining it to its proper owner. During this process, Rukia kept still and as silent as she could, but would grimace in momentary discomfort every once in a while. Ichigo wanted to help her, but he knew that if he interfered, all of their work would be for nothing.

To everyone's mild surprise, the transference finished after a few more minutes, and Rukia's pod opened so that she could step out. She carefully unhooked the electrodes from her person, then stood up and got out of the pod. Everyone looked over at her, and Pesche asked excitedly, "How do you feel?"

Rukia put a hand to her head and rubbed it, scowling in annoyance. "Not _that_ much different. I feel a little bit weaker, but that's about it. I wish someone had warned me about the splitting headache that I have now, though." she growled as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Pesche grinned apologetically. "Sumimasen. I didn't know to warn you. If I had known, I most certainly would have."

Rukia smiled back. "Don't worry about it. It'll pass eventually."

Meanwhile, Ichigo was taking Rukia's place in the pod, placing the electrodes on by himself and preparing mentally for the procedure. When he was ready, he nodded to Pesche, who returned the nod and closed the screen. "You ready, Ichigo?" Pesche asked, looking to his orange-haired friend in concern.

"Just do it." was the only reply, and Pesche pressed the button.

Almost immediately, everyone could tell that this transference would not be like the first. What looked like a surge of bright-blue electricity enveloped Ichigo's pod, and the Substitute Soul Reaper cried out once in surprise as his consciousness was forced unceremoniously into his Inner World.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Raizer Deadly Magnum!" Karakura Beast cried as she single-handedly dispatched a Huge Hollow with her enhanced fighting ability. Across the way, on the other end of the soccer field, Karakura Yellow was comforting the soul of a little girl that had been attacked by the masked monster. Across town, Karakura Red and Karakura Raizer were also kicking butt. Karin's modified soccer ball never had a chance to touch the ground as it flew between the two 'siblings', cracking a Hollow's mask each time it was passed from one hero to the other.

"Nice one, little sis!" Kon called after a particularly-impressive kick by his partner-in-crime-fighting. The ball then flew over to him, and he sent it hurtling into the face of yet another Hollow with a stylish bicycle kick.

"Right back at ya, Karakura King!" Karin called, grinning widely at the Mod Soul who was borrowing her brother's body. As they continued to pass the ball back and forth, Karin mused to herself, _Boy. I never noticed _this _many Hollows before. I guess Ichi-nii took out more of them every day than I realized..._ Aiming her next kick in the direction of another Hollow-like reiatsu, she paused when she noticed that this Hollow was _tiny_. It was at about her knee-height, and had green skin and yellow eyes, rather like a frog. Its head and mask were completely round but for a pointy, beak-like mouth. "Oi! You there! Little Hollow!" Karin called, running up to it, intrigued by its appearance. "What's a small fry like _you_ doin' here?"

To her immense surprise, the Hollow not only reacted to her question, but also answered it, albeit in a squeaky, nasally voice that wasn't intimidating at all. "Such insolence! I'll have you know that my name is Jakon, and I am an Adjuchas, leader of an immense army of Hollows!" it squeaked, and Karin was having a hard time keeping a straight face. She stifled her giggles and knelt down closer to the miniature Hollow and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. The creature protested, but Karin ignored it completely.

"Listen, little Hollow," Karin commanded, glaring at the creature with an expression identical to one of her brother's. "I've got a few questions for you, and I'm not letting you go until you answer them. Understood?"

Left without any options, the creature nodded grudgingly, thinking to itself,_ Oh, if only my lord hadn't taken back my only weapon before he left me alone. If I still wielded it, this girl would be nothing more than a pile of smoldering ashes by now!_ Out loud, he merely huffed indignantly.

"Now then, first question: How come so many more Hollows are attacking our hometown than before? It was never _this_ bad when my brother was home." she asked, glaring at the Hollow expectantly.

"Humph!" the imp-like beast huffed. "It's not a human's business what happens in Hueco Mundo. Why should I tell you anything?" the Hollow stated, crossing his arms stubbornly and looking away. At this, Karin got a sinister gleam in her eye, and delivered a series of the fastest punches to the head that the Hollow had ever seen from a human.

"All right, all right! I'll talk!" the Hollow surrendered, his once-round head now covered with large bumps and bruises. "There's actually three answers to your question. One, we're here because Hueco Mundo lost its King in the Arrancar-Shinigami War [aka Barragan]. We're leaderless, so we've divided into smaller factions and are attacking the Human World to gain power and become the new King of Hueco Mundo. Two, we're attacking _this_ town because we sensed that its guardian is absent, leaving his hometown as easy prey for us to devour, and third and lastly, something strange is happening in the palace of Las Noches. Some_one_ or some_thing_ is just flooding the whole place with absurd amounts of reiatsu, and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon. We Hollows don't want to get anywhere _near_ that monstrous spirit energy, so we decided to attack the World of the Living." he finished, out of breath following his long explanation.

"So basically, it was a cowardly escape to save your own skins." Karin summarized, causing a vein to pop out on the Hollow's forehead. "Insolence! Why, if only we were 500 years ago, I would teach you a lesson you'd never forget!" the Hollow seethed, struggling to break free of the preteen's hold.

_Yeah, yeah. I'm quaking in my boots, pipsqueak._ Karin thought to herself as she put the Hollow back down on the ground and kicked her soccer ball at its face, cracking the mask and sending it to Soul Society, purifying the soul within so that it wouldn't hurt anyone else. She then clapped her hands together as if relieving them of dust and returned to her 'brother's side. "So, who's next?"

* * *

Ichigo gasped as he sat up from his position on the roof of Karakura First High School in his Inner World. He looked around in confusion, noticing that something was amiss since the last time he was here. Finally he realized the difference.

"Ya finally decided ta drain this place. 'S about time." Shirosaki commented dryly as he approached the Substitute Shinigami. "I was gettin' kinda tired of swimming around to get anywhere."

"Where's Old Man Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked his Hollow, and the being made a face as if it had been hurt.

"What, no 'hello' fer yer other self? That's pretty rude a' ya." Shirosaki commented, a mocking pout forming on the lower half of his face.

"Quit the theatrics and just answer the question already." Ichigo growled, not having much patience for the being in front of him.

"He's somewhere else. I dunno exactly where. Just said something about this matter being between just you an' me an' took off." Shirosaki shrugged, looking away in a random direction with a nonchalant air about him.

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked, his ever-present frown deepening in confusion.

"Exactly what I said. This whole 'experiment' outside in Hueco Mundo's all fer the purpose of removing th' soul a' that other being from yer body. I gotta say it's about time, too. Ya wouldn't _believe_ all th' strain that extra soul is putting on ya. I hafta hold almost _all_ of it back, ta keep you... well... in this world, if ya know what I mean." Shirosaki explained, and Ichigo gaped at him.

"You mean..." Ichigo breathed. "You've been... _helping_ me?"

"Sure. Yer my other half. If you die, I die with ya. Sort of. If it wasn't fer me holding back _that_ power... well, let's just say little Yuzu an' Karin wouldn't have someone ta call 'Onii-chan' anymore." he shrugged, an odd expression on his face as he mentioned Ichigo's kid sisters. It looked almost like affection, but not quite.

"It seems I owe you more than I'd realized, Hollow." Ichigo commented after he'd processed this new information.

"I didn't really do it _only_ fer you. Th' other reason was 'cuz I knew that this would happen someday. That _this_ power would return ta its original owner. But it can't go back without _your_ help. That's why I called ya here, 'King'." Shirosaki looked meaningfully at Ichigo, but the Shinigami didn't get it. Then he sighed.

"Ya ever wondered why my irises are yellow?" the Hollow asked, pointing to his eyes. Ichigo cocked his head and waited for the answer. "If I was truly yer opposite, my eyes would probably be the opposite of yer brown eyes. Maybe sort of a very light blue. But they're not. They're yellow. Same thing with my hair. If I was really the polar negative of you, my hair wouldn't be white. It'd be green or something weird like that."

"What are you saying? That you're not my opposite? You're someone else entirely?" Ichigo asked, taken by surprise and even more confused at this unexpected turn of events.

"Bingo!" Shirosaki applauded, for once lacking the mocking tone. "Ya got it!"

Ichigo made a face at the Hollow's antics, but then shook his head and asked, "So what do I have to do to turn you back to normal?"

"Always to the point, aren't we? Well, whatever. I'll explain." Shirosaki shrugged, drawing his white zanpakuto and pointing the blade at Ichigo. His blade was already in its 'Bankai' release state, but surprisingly, his shihakusho hadn't upgraded itself, looking just like the standard uniform that all Soul Reapers wear. The red cord that Ichigo had to hold Zangetsu was also missing. Instead, an unfamiliar sheath hung at the Hollow's left hip, its color changed to its opposite to fit with the Hollow. Looking down at himself, Ichigo noticed that he too was clad in his 'Bankai' uniform, only his outfit looked like it always had.

"Remember what happened the night ya first became a Shinigami, Ichigo?" Shirosaki asked, and Ichigo nodded. "Rukia was badly wounded by that Hollow that would've attacked ya, and she was left with no other option but ta make _you_ a Shinigami. Well, I suppose she could've just given up, but that's not the way she is. Anyway, she intended ta give ya only _half_ of her spiritual power, but somehow you took it _all_. An' the rest is history.

"My point is, that's exactly what _you_ need ta do _here_. Stab yer zanpakuto through my heart, and pour yer excess spiritual energy into my body. Only, I'll be sure not ta take it all like _you_ did." he grinned teasingly, and Ichigo scowled. "I'll just be taking _back_ what's rightfully mine."

"You mean... you're..?" Ichigo gasped, finally figuring out his Hollow's true identity.

"Alright, less talk, more action." Shirosaki interrupted, seeming eager for this 'transferral' to get started.

"I've been waitin' in here fer seventeen years, give or take a few months. No offense, but I'm kinda sick of this place. I bet _you_ would be too, if you were me an' cooped up in here."

Ichigo made to ask how his Hollow had been within his Inner World for seventeen years, as he had only become a Shinigami roughly two years ago, but Shirosaki seemed to anticipate his question and cut him off. "I'll explain later. Let's just get me back ta normal first, shall we?"

Ichigo shrugged and nodded, then calmly walked over to 'his' Hollow and pointed his blade at Shirosaki's heart. He grimaced, feeling like he was going to kill the man in cold blood, but he knew that this was exactly what Rukia did to _him_ on that fateful night at the end of May. As if in comfort, Shirosaki gave him a small smile of encouragement and winked. That small gesture gave Ichigo the resolve he needed, and the blade made a swift _shlick_ sound as it pierced through fabric, flesh, bone, and muscle.

Shirosaki grimaced in pain, but only momentarily. Ichigo quickly removed his blade, and the wound began to bleed black from the hole. The black spread across the Hollow's chest, turning white fabric dark and the black sash white. The transformation didn't stop there, though. Slowly, white skin turned to a tanned, peachy color, and the Hollow's unnerving black-and-yellow eyes turned to white sclera and turquoise irises. A familiar-looking tattoo drew itself on the man's left forearm, and his white hair turned black, though from Ichigo's view it looked like a very dark purple.

The most significant change, however, was not the 'Hollow's appearance, but that of his zanpakuto. The sheath turned to a dark, navy blue, and the blade, guard, and hilt took on the appearance of a standard zanpakuto. The guard had a wave-like pattern imprinted on it, instead of the one that Ichigo had as his guard. The string that was wrapped around the hilt had become a dark blue color, changing from the white it had been.

The man breathed deeply and sighed with what almost seemed like relief. Then he opened his eyes and smiled at Ichigo, seeming to convey a deep sense of gratitude with only his expressions. Ichigo smirked and nodded, answering the unspoken thank-you with an equally-silent reply. "Guess I can't call you 'Hollow' or 'Shirosaki' anymore." he joked, lightening the mood a bit.

"No, you can't." the man laughed. "As ya might've already guessed, my name's actually Kaien Shiba. Former Lieutenant of Squad 13, an' older brother of Kukkaku an' Ganju Shiba. I've got the family tattoo on my arm, if ya need proof." he grinned at his former 'tenant'.

"Nah. I believe you." Ichigo answered, waving it off. "I just can't believe that I've been 'harboring' your soul for seventeen years."

"Yep. Ever since th' day you were conceived in yer mother's womb." Kaien explained. "Upon my death, my spirit somehow attached itself ta two people that I'd really cared about in life. One was Kuchiki, who helped me ta regain my sanity an' leave my 'heart' with her, an' the other was my friend Kurosaki Isshin, the former Captain of Squad 10 an' apparently yer old man. My 'essence' transferred itself ta you when you were conceived, an' that's why you look so much like me. Although it's partly genetics, too.

"That's also why yer reiatsu is sometimes a bright blue, instead of black an' red. Mine was blue, and it sometimes leaked out into the Real World when I helped with your battles." Kaien explained, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "I didn't help out _all_ th' time, but in yer fight with Zaraki Kenpachi, I knew I had ta do _something_, or you'dve died for sure. The black Getsuga Tenshou technique that you thought was originally mine? That's actually yours. I honestly have no clue where the white an' blue one came from."

...

"I'm really sorry about all the strain I put on you over the years, on your actual physical body and on yer life growing up." he continued after a minute of silence. "It's partly _my_ fault that you could see spirits from the time you were little, and why ya had such enormous spiritual energy as a kid. A little bit of it was because yer father is a Shinigami, and that would explain yer sisters, but most of it was because of me. I'm as much to blame for your mother's death as Grand Fisher." he admitted, looking down at his feet in shame and apology.

"Umm..." Ichigo paused, not really knowing how to follow such a comment. However, he was spared the task by the sudden appearance of two beings, one clad in all black and wearing black sunglasses, the other hidden beneath a ragged, beige cape.

"Zangetsu, good to see ya." Ichigo and Kaien commented at the same time, and the latter chuckled. The manifested zanpakuto smiled and nodded to both of them in greeting, then looked at his companion and tore off his shroud without warning. The man was taken by surprise at the sudden revelation of his identity to the two Shinigami, and his face colored a little bit in a flush of embarrassment. Then he glared sourly at Zangetsu for not giving him at least a _little_ warning.

"It can't be..." Kaien breathed, gaping at the newcomer. "_Nejibana_?!"

The man knelt down on one knee and bowed his head. "It's good to see you again, master Kaien, after all this time."

Kaien's look of shock slowly morphed into a wide smile, then he let out a bark of laughter and helped his Zanpakuto to his feet, embracing him like an old friend. The Zanpakuto returned the gesture, and a single tear ran from his cerulean blue eye and fell to the rooftop below. "I've missed ya, partner." Kaien sniffed, getting a little teary himself. He wiped away the evidence with his hand, then turned to the orange-haired teenager. "Ichigo? I'd like you to meet my Zanpakuto, and my best and closest friend, Nejibana."

"Hisashiburi desu, Kurosaki Ichigo. Yoroshikun onegaishimasu." Nejibana greeted, and Ichigo nodded, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Nejibana."

Nejibana was about as tall as the two Shinigami, maybe an inch or two taller. He wore white sandals on his feet, no tabi, and was robed in a blue kimono decorated with turbulent waves, thunderclouds, and a single white orchid over his heart. Streaks of lightning were woven into the fabric as well, giving the appearance of a storm. His hair was a dark, royal blue, and his eyes were the brightest electric blue that Ichigo had ever seen, except for Grimmjow. His skin was nicely tanned, as if he always spent every day on the beach and every day was summer. Ichigo guessed that his build was somewhere between his own physique and Chad's, and he carried a three-pronged trident with a feather tied below the fork and a corkscrew at the base of the weapon.

"That's our Shikai. I never achieved Bankai before... _it_ happened." Kaien explained when he noticed that Ichigo was studying the trident in interest. "The command is 'Rage across the seas and heavens', and I spin my sword in one hand as it goes from a regular sword to a corkscrew trident. Nejibana's a water-based zanpakuto, and I can create floods with the water produced by the corkscrew part of the weapon. It's a real handy ability, and Nejibana has never failed me over the years, saving my life on countless occasions."

"Except for that one night." Nejibana growled, looking down at his feet in shame. "I couldn't protect you then."

"Eh, that's the exception." Kaien shrugged, waving the incident off as if it were not a big deal at all. Even though that incident had cost him his life. He looked over at Zangetsu, and changing the subject from this dark path, commented, "Thank you for looking after Nejibana, Zangetsu. I am in your debt as well. You have my eternal gratitude. If there's anything I can ever do for you or Ichigo..." he trailed off, glancing at the younger Soul Reaper for a moment, "Let me know."

"I will." was Zangetsu's simple reply, and he smiled. "I actually have to thank you too, Kaien. Nejibana's been a good friend these past years, helping to stave off the loneliness this existence brings. It has helped exponentially to have a friend to talk to through the years."

"You could've talked to _me _too, ya know." Kaien said, but Zangetsu shook his head. "The Hollow within your heart was too unpredictable. I spent most of my time trying to keep you at bay, so Ichigo could lead a relatively-normal human life. Besides, there are things that zanpakuto can only truly discuss with their fellow zanpakuto."

"What do you mean, the Hollow within my heart?" Kaien asked, confused. "I thought Metastacia stayed with my body when it disintegrated and returned to Hueco Mundo."

"It _did_." Zangetsu answered. "I'm talking about a different Hollow. Ichigo's Hollow. The one that transforms him into that beast with long orange hair, a tail, and a hole in the center of his breastbone."

"I thought that thing disappeared when I changed back, when Ichigo helped me to become a Shinigami again."

Their conversation was interrupted as Ichigo suddenly cried out in pain. But it wasn't his normal voice that was coming from his mouth.

It was the cry of a Hollow.

* * *

End of chapter 6

Next chapter teaser: Corkscrew Flower, Death Wind, and Silver Wolf

Yay reunion! I've been waiting for that! I've always been a sucker for cute non-romantic scenes between characters like Nel and Ichigo. I think they see each other as extended family members. Purely platonic.

That little imp-like Hollow is strongly based on Jaken from Inuyasha, I admit that was not a coincidence. I love that show and I wanted to put in a reference if I could manage it. ;) I'm not implying that Sesshomaru 'dies' when Jakon says his master 'left', I'm just saying that he took the 'Staff of Two Heads' with him and took off.

Yeah, Shirosaki is actually Kaien. Big surprise. I know it's been done before, but I couldn't get that silly plot-bunny out of my head!

Uh-oh. Those guys are in trouble now! Hollow Ichigo isn't gone yet!


	7. Nejibana, Kazeshini, and Ginrei Ookami

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 7: Nejibana, Kazeshini, and Ginrei Ookami

* * *

_Their conversation was interrupted as Ichigo suddenly cried out in pain. But it wasn't his normal voice that was coming from his mouth._

_It was the cry of a Hollow._

Zangetsu sighed as Kaien ran to try to help his younger double. "I was afraid of this. It seems that without your guiding influence, without you constantly holding him back, Ichigo's Hollow has become too strong for just him to control."

"So what do we do?" Kaien gasped, trying to physically hold Ichigo back so he wouldn't attack either of the zanpakuto. On the boy's other side, Nejibana was holding Ichigo back as well, attempting to prevent the Hollow from drawing his blade. Which, so far, was proving easier said than done.

"_You_ aren't going to do anything about it." Zangetsu answered, and Kaien looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Remember, our first priority is getting _you_ back. Let _me_ worry about Ichigo. He's _my_ Shinigami, after all."

Kaien and Nejibana looked at each other, then back at Zangetsu, then back at each other. Nejibana nodded to his wielder, and Kaien nodded back, albeit reluctantly. Ichigo continued to thrash about, trying desperately to control his inner Hollow, but failing to completely subdue it. Under his true voice could be heard the distinctive cries of the Hollow within. His mask gradually started to form as the Hollow gained strength, but then cracked when Ichigo regained control, if only briefly.

"What are you two waiting for? Go!" Zangetsu growled, drawing his own blade and leveling it at the teenager. "We don't have a lot of time here! I can only keep the portal open for so long! If you don't leave now, you may be trapped here for who knows how long! _GO_!" he shouted, gripping his blade with both hands and holding it over his head, ready to plunge into Ichigo's heart. Kaien gaped at the older man, flabbergasted that he would willingly attack his Shinigami. _Well, I'll be darned if I ever understand _that_ relationship..._ Kaien thought to himself. He looked back at his own zanpakuto, and both men nodded in unison as they let go of Ichigo and faded from the Inner World, to return to the real one. Just before Kaien disappeared, he looked back at his double just in time to see Zangetsu plunge his blade through Ichigo's heart.

_I sure hope you know what you're doing, Zangetsu._

* * *

Meanwhile, in the lab within Las Noches, Ichigo's body was thrashing about as if the boy was having a major seizure. Neliel and the others could only watch helplessly as the teenaged Shinigami struggled with himself. Literally. A small black hole suddenly appeared over Ichigo's breastbone, and a shaft of orange and white light shot out of it, shattering one of the windows as it escaped into the barren wasteland of Hueco Mundo. Then, the hole closed itself as if it had never been there at all.

"What was that?" Rukia and Hanataro gasped in unison, and the other men and women shrugged. They had no idea. Ichigo's pod opened with a _hiss_, and the Substitute Shinigami's head lolled limply to the side, as if he hadn't the strength to hold it upright. Inexplicably, the boy's chest and upper arms were covered with lacerations and bruises, as if tiny shards of glass had been under his skin and were forcibly pulled out by the fastest route possible. His brown eyes were shut tight in a grimace of pain, and his mouth was open slightly.

"He's lost consciousness," Neliel observed, her face a mask of confusion. "I wonder why. It can't have been _that_ much of a drain."

Ashido looked up then. "I don't know much about this situation, but you said earlier that Ichigo possessed the greater portion of Kaien's soul within him. Losing that much energy would take its toll on anyone. If you ask me, he's lucky he wasn't injured more. It's a good thing he's got such a strong heart." He had a feeling about what that strange orangish light was, but he didn't want to alarm his friends, familiar and not.

A calm silence came over the group, and all was quiet in the laboratory but for the steady _Beep. Beep. Beep. _of the EKG that was hooked up to the pods. So it somewhat startled the group when the second pod opened itself with a loud _hiss_ of air. A low groan followed, and the collection of friends crowded around Kaien's pod.

"Unnh. Would've been nice ta get a little warnin' fer this monster headache." the former Lieutenant grumbled, rubbing the side of his head and scowling at the floor.

Rukia was the first to find her voice. "K...K-Kaien...dono?" she squeaked, hardly daring to believe her eyes and ears. Had her hero really been returned to this world?

Kaien looked up. "Well, if it ain't my favorite little Soul Reaper." he laughed, putting a hand on Rukia's head and messing up her hair. "Long time no see, Kuchiki!"

Rukia laughed once nervously. "D-domo..."

A vein popped on Kaien's temple, and he growled, "That any way ta greet yer commanding officer after so long? Yer supposed ta say 'It's wonderful to see you again, Lieutenant Shiba!'" he messed up her hair even more as he said this, and his face was only about an inch from hers. If someone had 'accidentally' bumped into her, she would touch lips with his. She shook her head vigorously to clear her mind of these ridiculous thoughts, and feeling an alarming sense of déjà vu, answered quickly, "Hai! It's wonderful to see you again, Shiba-fukutaicho!" her cheeks glowing cherry-red with embarrassment.

Kaien just laughed loudly and pulled his 'favorite little Soul Reaper' into a one-arm hug, giving her a gentle noogie as he did so. "That's more like it!" he laughed, and Rukia smiled as she recalled the day she'd first met Kaien Shiba and joined Squad 13. He hadn't changed one bit. He was still the same mischievous, humorous and inspirational man she had come to respect and like in her early days in Squad 13. Maybe even love.

Rukia shook her head again. _There I go. Off on a tangent again..._ Then she smiled at her hero as he got out of the pod and pulled the seven electrodes off of his body, readjusting his shihakusho so it looked more like the standard style of the uniform. He then cracked his neck loudly and looked at the rest of the group, wordless thanks in his turquoise eyes.

"Some of yer faces are very familiar to me, and others're a complete mystery. I don't know why you guys would come all the way here fer just me, someone you don't know from Adam, but I want ya to know I'm grateful. Thanks ta you guys and girls I've got a second chance, an' I sure as heck won't mess it up like last time. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. If there's any way I can repay ya, any way at all..." he trailed off, but the group nodded sporadically. They understood the unspoken promise.

As Kaien was making his 'thank-you' speech, Hanataro was hard at work healing his friend's many wounds and slowly restoring his spiritual energy. His brow was drenched with sweat, but he dared not take a hand away from his task to wipe it. He willed his friend to regain consciousness, to move an eyelid, anything. Just give him some indication that he was still alive.

"Ichigo-san, ganbare. Shikkari shite, Ichigo-san!" Hanataro breathed, giving his all to heal one of his best friends. Eventually the others took notice of what the seventh seat of Squad 4 was doing, and they gathered around the orange-haired teen's pod. Kaien put a gentle hand on his double's shoulder and whispered, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's out cold. First he had ta deal with the energy loss that I needed, then that struggle with his Hollow. It's enough ta make _anybody_ pass out, even a kid as strong as Ichigo."

"_What_?!" Rukia gasped. _His Hollow? What does that have to do with this?_

"_That's_ what that light was!" Neliel gasped, and everyone looked at her except for Kaien and Hanataro. "Itsygo's Hollow must've escaped from his Inner World during the energy transfer, when his barriers were down."

_Uh oh._ Nova thought to himself. _That will complicate things._ He turned to his fellow mod souls and the rest of the group and announced, "We'll have to return to the Living World in waves. If he attacks, I won't be able to get everyone back to the World of the Living all at once. The strongest of us will have to stay behind and run interference. Miss Kuchiki and Ichigo should go back first, along with Hanataro-san. Once they're safely away, the next group will go. That's you and Kurodo-san, Ririn." he said this to his little sister, who scowled and pouted. Nova smiled at her. "I know you want to help, but you should go with Kurodo. I could never live with myself if you got hurt."

Ririn looked at the red-haired teenager, and was surprised to hear a tone of fondness in his voice and see it in his emerald eyes. She knew that he saw her as a little sister, even though she was technically older than him, but she'd never seen him show such strong emotions before. He was always the quiet one.

"I'll stay with the 'interference' group." Hisagi volunteered. "I've had to deal with quite a few powerful Hollows in my day. Ichigo's shouldn't be too hard."

"I'm staying too." Kaien announced, and Ashido nodded as well. They would make sure to keep the others from harm as they escaped through the portal. Ririn was still scowling, but she eventually nodded and left with Rukia, Kurodo, Ichigo, and the other Soul Reaper. Ashido, Hisagi, Kaien and Nova followed close behind, with Neliel and Pesche bringing up the rear. Along the way, the group met up with Dondochakka, and though he was very confused, the Fraccíon offered his support as well.

_BOOM!_ A giant quake shook the palace, and Neliel thought, _Well, time to go. _She led the others out of the lab and into the giant desert room of Las Noches, and from there out into the wasteland of Hueco Mundo.

As the group left the ruined palace of Las Noches and passed into the bleak, arid expanse of Hueco Mundo, all was strangely still and quiet. Ashido felt a shiver of unease travel up his spine. In the few times he'd been to the desert portion of Hueco Mundo above the Menos Forest, he'd always been able to detect the faint presences and sounds of tiny animal-Hollows that lived on the surface. Things that looked a lot like lizards and small animals. He'd even once encountered a Hollow that looked like a puppy. But now, everything was eerily silent, as if every living thing was hiding in fear.

"It's quiet." Pesche whispered, his golden eyes darting back and forth, signifying his nervousness.

"Too quiet." Neliel agreed with her friend, putting a cautious hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto, as if reassuring herself that it was still there.

"Where is everybody, don'cha know?" Dondochakka finished, and that was when the sand dune in front of the group exploded, sending tons of white sand thousands of feet into the air. A monstrous form in the center of the newly-formed crater reared its head, and the round, oval-shaped mask of the beast glared at the group of allies with anger in its black eye-sockets.

"Not good." Neliel breathed. "It's Lunuganga-sama, the Guardian of the White Sands!"

The giant figure's mask cracked open at its mouth, and a thunderous voice boomed out, "Who dares approach the palace of Las Noches, home of the great king, Lord Aizen?!"

Rukia snickered quietly so that the guard couldn't hear. "I guess nobody bothered to tell him that Aizen was defeated two years ago." Out loud she called to the titan, "We're not going _there_, we're coming _back_. We're just trying to get home to the Real World."

"Do not lie to me, you insignificant worms!" Lunuganga shouted, seeming to shake the whole world of Hueco Mundo with his voice. "You may have slipped past me once before, but not again! I will not let one soul raise a finger against Aizen-sama!"

Before Rukia could manage an annoyed retort, an enormous crimson sphere shot out of nowhere and struck Lunuganga in the middle of his mask, shattering it into dust and scattering the sands of his body across leagues of barren desert.

"Aizen's dead, ya moron." a mysterious figure growled behind the group, and all gasped in horror at the sight of the being before them. Some, who did not recognize the new foe, merely gasped because of the power they could sense coming from the demon in waves. Others, like Rukia and the mod souls, gasped in recognition as well as terror.

"Itsygo's true Hollow form," Neliel breathed, not wanting to believe her senses. "The one who _really_ destroyed Ulquiorra-sama."

"That's right." the demon growled, a wicked grin on its face. "And now, yer next." he announced, and that was all the warning he gave before flying at the group at the speed of sound.

Neliel grasped the hilt of her blade and held it up, gripping the blade with her other hand and crying, "Praise, Gamusa!" Barely had the smoke cleared from her transformation when the demon crossed blades with her lance, and the two Vasto Lorde entered into the beginning of an epic battle.

Not wasting any time staring at the warring Hollows, Nova removed the cross-patterned shield from his back and created a portal right next to Rukia and Hanataro. Ichigo was still unconscious on Hanataro's back. Sparing one last glance back at Neliel, her eyes full of gratitude, Rukia pushed Hanataro and Ichigo through the portal, stepping through herself just as it closed. Nova bent forward and put his hands on his knees. Creating a large portal between dimensions was difficult enough. But under these trying conditions and with this much pressure, it was next to impossible.

Just as the portal back to the Living World opened, Shirosaki snarled and shot off after it like a missile. He couldn't let any of his prey escape, and five of them were delicious Shinigami! Not to mention that the portal led back to the real world, where there was an unlimited supply of earthbound spirits and Wholes to snack on. Yes, that portal was his ticket to paradise!

"Oh... no... you... don't!" Neliel grunted as she blocked his path, guarding against his blade and his horns with her lance. Holding her weapon with both hands, she slowly forced him backwards, keeping him away from the portal and her friends.

Shuuhei looked at the other two members of his 'interference' group and barked, "Well what are we just standing here for like statues? We gotta go help her!" and with that he ran off to where the showdown was unfolding, drawing his zanpakuto and shouting, "Reap, Kazeshini!" At once, his sword turned into two double-bladed scythes that were connected with a chain.

The others followed their fellow Shinigami, one crying out, "Suiten sakamake, Nejibana!" and the other gathering his energy for a powerful Kido attack. "The one who reigns! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, the flutter of wings, who crowns us names! Hado no sanjuichi(31): Shakkaho!" The red-haired Shinigami cried, and shot the largest ball of red fire Kido at the monster that anyone had ever seen.

Following Ashido's lead, Hisagi pointed two fingers at his opponent, crying out, "Hado no yon(4): Byakurai!" and a burst of white lightning shot straight at the monster's chest, aiming for his heart.

Shirosaki reeled back and snarled angrily at the attack, not wounded in the slightest, but offended that these pathetic fools would think that he would fall to such weak attacks.

"My turn!" Kaien shouted, gathering his energy for his own assault. "Carriage of thunder, gap of the spinning wheel, divide into six with light, on the wall of blue flames inscribe a twin lotus, in the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! All creation, flap of wings, the one who carries the title of human! In the name of truth and temperance, dig your claws into the wall of sinless dreams! Bakudo no rokujuichi(61): Rikujokoro! Hado no sanjusan(33): Sokatsui!"

"Whoa. A double incantation?" Hisagi gasped to himself. Then he shrugged and chuckled as the beast was bound with six petals of light and blasted with pale blue fire. _Captain Ukitake always said that Lieutenant Shiba was a genius, and extraordinarily gifted..._

"Nice one!" he congratulated his fellow lieutenant, giving the man a high-five.

"Heh. Got that one from Rukia. She used the exact same thing on me when I was trapped as Aaronniero." Kaien laughed as he twirled Nejibana expertly.

"Wait a sec," Pesche interjected. "You remember everything?"

"Yep." Kaien nodded, his expression at complete odds with the gloomy topic. He twirled his trident again and pointed the corkscrew end at Shirosaki. "Good thing too," he continued, summoning a torrent of water around the tip. "'cuz otherwise I wouldn't know how ta do this! Hado no nanajusan(73): Tenran!" a typhoon suddenly appeared around the end of Nejibana, and carried a tsunami-sized volume of water up to where Shirosaki was still trapped in the lotus-shaped binding Kido.

"Whoa." Ashido exclaimed, impressed.

"Like it?" Kaien grinned. "I call it the Kaien-Nejibana 'Shiba Hurricane!', or just 'Hurricane' for short."

"_Nice_." Hisagi and Nova commented approvingly in unison, then Nova turned red and laughed nervously, looking down at his feet.

"Indeed!" Pesche interjected, drawing his katana from his belt and leveling it at Shirosaki, who was caught up in the middle of Kaien's hurricane. "Now let's take our chance and go with it! Attack as one! That should be enough to keep him at bay for a while!"

"Right." Shuuhei, Ashido and Kaien agreed, and Neliel nodded as well. Nova, who had sufficiently recovered by now, saw about creating another portal for Ririn and Kurodo to escape through.

"Tsuki ni naku, Ginrei Ookami!" Ashido cried, raising his blade to the heavens as Pesche stood on Dondochakka's shoulders, preparing for their most powerful attack. Neliel focused the majority of her energy into her lance, preparing to fire at the hostile Hollow.

"Everyone on three!" Neliel cried. "One, two..."

"THREE!" everyone shouted in unison as they attacked. Kazeshini wrapped around Shirosaki and pierced deep into his back. A giant blade made of Hollow-bone pierced his abdomen, Nejibana's trident pierced his upper chest, and a cyclone of energy from Neliel's 'Lanzador Verde' crashed down on him from above when the others had freed their weapons and jumped clear. Because their attack took a little time to warm up, Pesche and Dondochakka's 'Cero Sincrético' came last, and the ball of violet and golden light struck Shirosaki straight in the center of his mask.

"HA!" the triumphant Fraccíon cried. "I'd like to see him walk away from _that_ world-class butt-kicking!" Pesche grinned up at the cloud of smoke that was all that remained of the Vasto Lorde. With the defeat of Ichigo's Hollow, everyone celebrated, and there were high-fives and handshakes all around. Ririn and Kurodo grinned at each other as they stepped through the portal, followed by Hisagi, Ashido, Kaien, and Nova. Neliel put her arms around her 'brothers' shoulders, transforming back to her regular form with a 'POP' and a burst of pink smoke. "Haaahh." she sighed happily. "Glad _that's_ finally over. Now things might actually go back to normal around here."

How very wrong she was.

"You losers call _that_ a Cero?" a multi-toned, mocking voice called out from within the smoke. Everyone gasped and looked up in horror at the demon they thought they had vanquished. A white, clawed hand swept away the smoke to reveal the rest of the Hollow, who was looking quite aggravated.

"Look," Hisagi whispered, and everyone listened. "He's still wounded from our attacks. He _isn't_ invincible after all."

"Maybe we still have a chance..." Neliel agreed, her mouth a grim slash of determination. But then her hope faded as Shirosaki started to form the largest Cero she had ever seen. Only, instead of a cherry-red, like it normally was, this one was almost blood-colored, and was at least twice the size of the Cero he'd used on Ulquiorra-sama.

"Gran Rey Cero..." Pesche breathed, too horrified to even think about a comedic angle to this situation.

"_This_ is a Cero!" Shirosaki roared with maniacal laughter as he aimed it at the remaining 'interference' squad. The blood-red orb that was nearly the size of the moon hovered threateningly between Shirosaki's horns, seeming almost eager to be released, to cause irreparable, immeasurable, untold damage to the 'rescue team'.

As if hedging his bets, Shirosaki charged up another, far smaller Cero in his hand and hid it behind his back. His reasoning behind this second Cero was simple: if they somehow survived the first ridiculously-large Cero, however unlikely, the second would surely finish off what remained of them. He had been planning on eating the Shinigami, but decided to utterly destroy them for having the audacity to actually _wound_ him. And the same fate would befall that traitorous Espada down there and her Fraccíon.

After enjoying the moment of suspense, Shirosaki finally decided to release his doomsday attack, lobbing the smaller Cero after it casually, as if passing a baseball to a teammate, though this baseball was loaded with as much energy as a hydrogen bomb.

Neliel's grim slash of determination was back, and she said nothing to her 'brothers' or her new friends. If she did, they might guess what she was planning to do and try to stop her. And she couldn't have that. They would surely get hurt. No. Best just to stay silent.

As the group braced themselves for impending doom, thinking things like: _Well, it was fun while it lasted. Looks like I'm not leaving Hueco Mundo after all._ Or, _This stinks. I'm back from th' dead for all of half an hour, an' now I get ta die _again_? _Or,_ Great. Now Squad 9 has no Captain _or _Lieutenant. I've let everyone down. Isane... forgive me. _they failed to notice Neliel diving between them and the monstrous Cero, opening her mouth wider than anyone thought physically possible. To everyone's indescribable shock, the Cero did not explode upon impact, but appeared to be disappearing into the former Espada's gaping maw.

It took forever for the titanic Cero to be absorbed, but eventually it did, and Neliel had her hands in front of her mouth to try to contain the energy bomb. When she could no longer hold it in, she released it, adding the power of her own formidable Cero to the one she had swallowed. The Cero that was shooting back toward Shirosaki was now twice as powerful, and the demon soon found himself shooting to the other side of the world, the flames of the explosion licking the lower half of his body. The smaller, concentrated Cero he had shot did not connect with its intended target, but was consumed by the blast and detonated prematurely, having as much of an effect as a balloon burst compared to an atomic bomb.

Unfortunately for the heroes, Neliel hadn't factored in the radius of the explosion, and so was unprepared to protect her friends and family members. And to add insult to injury, she had used too much energy with her 'Cero Doble' that she reverted back to her child form with a loud _'POOF!'_

Lucky for her and the others, Ashido, Kaien, and Shuuhei could think quickly under pressure. As one, they cried out, "Bakudo no hachijuichi(81): Danku!" and three thick clear walls rose up from the sands between them and the blast, shielding them from the flames and debris. Ashido's barrier was closest to the blast, as his was the strongest, then Kaien's in the middle, and Shuuhei's wall was the closest to the group.

The blast shredded Ashido's barrier as if it were made of rice paper, though the group could tell that the wall of Kido had slowed the blast significantly before it fell. When the explosion hit Kaien's shield, it shuddered violently as if an 8.8 earthquake had struck the area, and finally collapsed under the titanic pressure. Kaien winced as his barrier gave way, as it had taken the rest of his power to create and maintain for so long. Now it was up to the Lieutenant of Squad 9 to protect the group from the wall of fire that was quickly approaching them. Shuuhei put the bulk of his energy behind his shield, praying that it would be enough. And then the flames connected.

* * *

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu cried as she raced out of the Kurosaki Clinic, running to help Rukia and the other Shinigami support her brother, who was still unconscious. Rukia gave the preteen a weary smile of greeting, and Yuzu immediately took Rukia's place on her brother's left side, as the female Shinigami was still quite weak from her experience in the Reishi Transfer Machine. Ichigo groaned once in pain as he slowly came to his senses again. "Onii-chan?" Yuzu whispered, and the seventeen-year-old substitute Shinigami lifted his head slowly and opened his eyes. "Y-Yuzu?" he breathed, his voice barely able to manage a hoarse whisper. Then his head dropped back to his collarbone as his strength left him once again.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu cried, worried that her brother was seriously injured.

"Shinpai nai, Yuzu-chan." Rukia whispered comfortingly, putting a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "He's just exhausted. With a little rest, he should be as good as new in a few days."

"A-are... are you sure?" the girl sniffled, her brown eyes getting a little watery.

"Positive." Rukia smiled, and she opened the clinic door so that her closest friend in the Human World could be carried indoors.

"Welcome to Kurosaki Clinic-" Isshin began, but broke off when he saw his son between an unfamiliar Soul Reaper and little Yuzu. "Ichigo!" he cried as he vaulted over the receptionist counter, taking his daughter's place and relieving Hanataro of the burden as well.

"He's not wounded too badly, just exhausted. The 'rescue' took more out of all of us than we'd expected." Rukia explained, and Isshin nodded. Then he turned to Hanataro. "You're from Squad 4, right?"

Hanataro nodded. "Good. Then you can help me with everyone else. First, though, we gotta get this knucklehead up to his room. Rukia-chan, could you keep an eye out for the others?" he asked of his 'third daughter', and she nodded without question and Flash Stepped outside into the night air.

Just as Isshin set his son down on his bed, the clinic door bell clanged, signaling that someone had entered the hospital portion of the Kurosaki residence. Dr. Kurosaki raced into the lobby as four more men stumbled into the room through the doors. Rukia was supporting a man who looked almost exactly like Ichigo, and two men who could be twins walked through the other doors, supporting each other and both with shockingly red hair. Lastly, both Karin and Yuzu were helping a fourth young man that Isshin recognized as the Lieutenant of Squad 9, who had helped take out a few Fraccíon and his own former Captain in the Winter War.

"I think we're gonna need a few more beds, Dad." Karin chuckled from under Shuuhei's right arm, and the doctor nodded. Judging from the states of the red-haired Shinigami's and the Lieutenant's uniforms, both had nearly exhausted their reiatsu levels, and they were badly wounded to boot. The man that Rukia was supporting was looking pretty beat up as well, his left hand over a fairly large stomach wound, which was bleeding profusely. Despite this, he had a wide grin on his face, and turned to look at the young Lieutenant. "You sure surprised us with that barrier of yours, Shuuhei. I think that we might've mixed up the order of the shields. Yours should've been first."

Hisagi smiled and looked down, his face turning a little pink with embarrassment. He winced when Yuzu accidentally stumbled, the jarring motion aggravating his broken arm. "It was _your_ barrier that saved us all, Lieutenant. And that's nothing to be ashamed of." Kaien continued, all joking and humor gone from his face.

At that moment, Nova's strength disappeared, and the seventeen-year-old Mod Soul collapsed to his knees, taking Ashido with him. Isshin snapped to 'full doctor mode' then, and he looked to his youngest daughter. "Yuzu, switch places with this young man and get two more beds ready. Karin, when you get a chance, call the Ishida Hospital and see if they can spare any help. If not, get Orihime. Rukia, if your Soul Pager works, see if you can get Unohana to dispatch some of her squad members. We're gonna need a lot of help here." He helped Ashido to his feet, and Ririn helped her 'brother' to the nearest chair, receiving a grateful smile as a 'thank you'.

…

"So, what happened back there?" Rukia asked her former superior a few hours later after everyone had been helped onto a mobile hospital bed. Hanataro and two other members of Squad 4 were working to heal his stomach wound, and another was healing his left leg. "Where is Shirosaki? Is he dead?"

"I doubt it." Kaien frowned. "It would take at least ten people, all with power levels like Ichigo's or higher, ta take down _that_ monster. I think we'll be reasonably safe though, at least fer the time being. He's gonna be licking his wounds fer a while after taking a beating like that." he smirked, wincing as the simple action irritated a cut on his face.

Rukia nodded. "And what about Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka? Are they okay?"

"Yeah. Mister Showoff over there teleported 'em back inta Las Noches at the last second, that's why he's so drained." Kaien rolled his eyes, smirking over at Nova, who was still unconscious. Rukia thought she saw a glimmer of affection in Kaien's teal eyes, but it was gone when he looked back at her.

"I feel so useless, just sitting here." Rukia huffed after a minute. "I should be trying to help you guys recover, but-"

"Don't even think about it." Kaien interrupted. "In case you forgot, _you_ lost quite a bit of energy too in that transfer thingamajig. You just rest. Squad 4 can handle it, an' Isshin knows what he's doing. We'll be _fine_." Kaien smiled, then winced again.

"I hope you're right." Rukia sighed, then walked out of the Operating Room to take her former lieutenant's advice and get some rest. As she climbed into Ichigo's closet, she spared a glance at her closest human friend, asleep in his own bed, still clad in his shihakusho and sandals. Zangetsu lay on the floor beside him, returned to its Shikai state, and wrapped neatly with the cloth that served as its sheath. Rukia smiled at him when she saw how peaceful he looked when he was asleep, and walked back over to his bedside.

_His expression is so gentle, like all of his cares have just melted away. He's always wearing that stupid frown when he's awake, like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, and his alone. He should loosen up once in a while. He looks so cute when he's relaxed like this..._ She gently smoothed some hair out of his face, then took his hand in both of hers. _Sleep well, Ichigo._ Wondering vaguely where Kon was with Ichigo's body, Rukia dressed into her pajamas, that Yuzu had let her keep, then crawled into the closet and closed the door.

Surprisingly, for the first time in years, not a single Hollow attacked the town of Karakura, and the weary heroes slept undisturbed through the whole night.

* * *

End of chapter 7

Next chapter teaser: The Man with the Golden Zanpakuto


	8. The Man with the Golden Zanpakuto

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 8: The Man with the Golden Zanpakuto

* * *

Two days later, about 10:00 pm...

"Well everyone, I have good news and bad news." Isshin stated as he walked into the lobby. Everyone was present except for Kaien, who was still recovering from his stomach injury in one of the examination rooms. Ashido was sitting next to Nova, and he was sitting by his 'little sister' Ririn, who was by Kurodo. On the middle-aged Mod Soul's other side was Shuuhei, his right arm in a cast and sling. Against the opposite wall sat Rukia and the Kurosaki family, Ichigo included.

"The good news is, you're all well on your way to recovery, physically speaking." Isshin continued. "In terms of reiatsu recovery, though, you've still got quite a ways to go. And this is where the bad news comes in. Lieutenant Hisagi, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here in the Living World for a bit longer than you expected. A week, tops, until your reiatsu returns."

Shuuhei nodded, having expected the news to be something like this. "That being the case, you'll have to use a gigai and stay at Urahara's for a while. The problem is, there are only _two_ functional gigai available at the moment, so someone will have to wait, until one of you no longer has need of one."

Shuuhei was about to answer when a familiar voice interrupted from the doorway. "It's no big deal. I can wait, Isshin." Kaien volunteered, leaning against the door frame for support and holding a hand to his stomach.

"Are you sure, Kaien?" Isshin asked his old friend. "Of the three of you, _you_ were the one who suffered the greatest energy loss."

"All the more reason fer Shuuhei an' Ashido ta go before me. Think about it. Squad 9 would probably like their lieutenant back as soon as possible, an' I bet Ashido's eager ta return ta his old squad after all this time. Besides..." he paused. "It'll probably take some time ta explain ta all the Squads how a man that they'd thought was long dead is coming _back_. Trust me, Isshin. I'm in no hurry ta go back to Soul Society. At least, not Seireitei. Not yet."

"Kaien..." Isshin breathed, impressed by his old friend's self-sacrifice. He'd know Kaien for many years, since he was very young, but he'd never seen him so... selfless. Hueco Mundo had changed him, that much was certain.

"But... Kaien-dono, what about your family? Kukkaku and Ganju?" Rukia asked, and Kaien looked down at the floor. "They'll just have ta wait. Like everyone else. Of everyone in Soul Society that'll be told, they're the ones least likely ta believe it. No, it's best if I just stay in this world fer a while, until this all blows over." He looked back at Isshin. "That is, if that's okay with you."

Isshin grinned. "You know my door is always open to a friend. It's like something Ichigo's friend Sado said once. 'Mi casa es su casa'. I think that's Spanish for 'My house is your house'."

Kaien smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

…

"So, if Shuuhei an' Ashido are usin' the gigai, what am I gonna use?" Kaien mused out loud sometime later, when everyone else had left the lobby to go do their own thing. Ashido had needed some help getting into his gigai, as he had vanished into Hueco Mundo long before they'd been invented. Only Rukia and Ichigo remained in the room with the former Lieutenant of Squad 13.

"Beats me." Rukia shrugged, and Ichigo's ever-present scowl deepened. Obviously, he was deep in thought about something. Then he sat up. "Hey Rukia? What are gigai made of anyway?" he asked the female Shinigami that was his best friend.

Rukia laughed. "I couldn't tell you. Every time I would ask Urahara, he'd just smile behind his fan and say 'it's a trade secret'. Like there's another person that wants to make fake bodies for Soul Reapers to use."

Ichigo smiled at that too, knowing full well what the eccentric shopkeeper could be like. Then he turned serious again. "Basically, it's just a fake body made of various materials, right? Kind of like a more complex, mobile mannequin. Or a stuffed animal." he guessed, looking to Rukia for confirmation.

"I suppose..." Rukia nodded, but then she realized where Ichigo could be going with this. "Wait a minute! This isn't another one of those 'Kon' things, is it?" she asked, and Ichigo just grinned mischievously and ran up the stairs to his bedroom, Kaien right behind him.

"I guess I must've rubbed off on ya over the years, Ichigo. Yer a genius!" Kaien laughed, amazed that he'd never thought of this himself. Rukia, however, did not share his opinion. "This isn't genius! It's crazy! Madness!"

"Exactly, Kuchiki!" Kaien answered, still grinning. "He's a _mad_ genius! As a great artist once wrote, 'Twixt truth and madness lies but a sliver of a stream...'!"

"I take it back," Rukia gave up. "You're _both_ crazy!"

The boys just laughed and continued to Ichigo's room. The orange-haired teen opened one of his closet doors and all of the drawers behind it, tossing out every stuffed animal and plushie he could find, so that Kaien could pick one he liked.

"I can't believe you two are actually doing this." Rukia huffed. "But if you insist on degrading yourself, Kaien-dono, I would suggest a doll that reflects the nobility and essence of the Shiba name, like a dog, or a cat, or a-"

"Hey, how 'bout this one?" Kaien cut her off, holding up a red pepper with a face, arms and legs.

"A _vegetable_?! I was thinking something a little more... noble." Rukia protested, but Kaien shook his head, not to be dissuaded.

"No, don't you see? This is perfect! It's a 'Kaien' pepper!" he laughed, the widest of grins plastered on his face.

Ichigo snorted as he heard the little play-on-words, and put a hand over his mouth to stifle the giggles. Rukia's eyes widened and a small chuckle threatened to escape, but she held it back. Barely. With a shake of her head, she strode out of the room to find more sane company, muttering, "_Boys..._"

* * *

Miles away, in a different part of town, Shuichi Minamino was sitting on his bed, looking out at the stars through the open window. His eyes quickly found the brightest one, and he folded his hands together.

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight," the boy breathed, looking up at the heavenly body earnestly. "I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." He closed his eyes tightly and concentrated with all his might, silently reciting his wish in his mind, somehow knowing that the right someone would hear it, even if he didn't say it out loud. The boy lay down on his pillow, pulled up his covers, and fell asleep. Then the clock struck twelve.

On the other side of town, also at the stroke of midnight, Shuichi's dearest wish was about to come true. The brightest star in the sky, the one he had wished upon, gradually grew brighter as it fulfilled the young boy's request. Nova Minamino was resting his eyes for a few hours before getting back to his personal 'training'. He knew that he needed to become stronger if he wanted to protect his friends and the Mod Souls he considered family, but was too bashful to train when the others could see him. So he trained in the dead of night in Urahara's 'basement', when he knew that his rather... _outspoken_ counterparts would be fast asleep.

Now, however, he was waiting patiently for his little sister to fall asleep, instead of reading her book on illusions that Nova had surprised her with on her 'birthday'. Since then, she had never put it down. While he was honored that she was so happy with her gift, right now it was sort of annoying. He couldn't possibly sneak away while she was awake, the quiet yet distinctive sounds of his portals would alert her immediately. So he rested while he waited.

Five minutes before midnight, Ririn finally put a bookmark in the tome, set it down at her bedside, and turned off her lamp, rolling onto her side and curling up in a semi-fetal position. However by this time it was too late, for Nova had fallen asleep himself. Feigning sleep for so long had actually caused him to doze off. His senses were dead to the world as the boy slept, and so he was blissfully unaware of the ever-growing blinding light just outside his window.

The starlight kept growing in intensity as it slowly approached the store's back window, and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. However, just at the light reached the peak of its brightness, it began to fade, and a shower of tiny, silvery-white sparkles gently showered the youngest Mod Soul, instantly healing his broken arm. But that's not the only miracle the star performed. Its task complete, the celestial body returned to its home in the distant heavens, waiting for another soul with a pure heart to make a wish on its glow.

* * *

"Shuichi! Breakfast time!" Nozomi Minamino called to her son, who was still asleep. The boy rolled out of bed, and rubbing his eyes groggily, answered, "Okay, Mom!" Still in his pj's, the boy shuffled to the kitchen, but perked up when he noticed the spread on the table.

"Happy Birthday, Shuichi!" Nozomi cried happily, sweeping her youngest child up in her arms in a big hug and kissing his forehead. She had made all his favorites for breakfast, and was planning to do so for lunch and dinner as well. Shuichi beamed at his mother, returning the hug, then sat down in his chair and clapped his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" he recited before eagerly digging in. After breakfast, Shuichi brushed his teeth and packed his bookbag. Even though it was Saturday, he still had a few classes to attend at school.

…

On the other side of town, Nova Minamino was just waking up, having slept through the whole night for the first time since his 'death'. Rubbing his eyes and opening the door to his room, he was greeted by a loud kazoo and a long strip of inflated paper in his face.

"Happy Birthday, Sleepyhead!" Ririn squealed, jumping off her perch on top of a stack of boxes and tackling the teenager in a hug. The surprised boy staggered a bit, then regained his balance as Ririn let go. She beamed up at her favorite redhead, and the young man's face turned the color of his hair.

"Don't tell me you'd forgotten, Nova!" Kurodo laughed gently, good-naturedly teasing his young friend, who looked at the date on his watch. It was true. Today was the eighteenth anniversary of his birth. Or it _would_ have been, were he still human.

"I hate to ruin the moment and spoil your excitement Kurodo, Ririn, but Mod Souls don't age." the teenager stated, looking down at the ground. "I was fifteen when I died, and I'll remain fifteen for the rest of my... existence. Even though I _look_ like I'm seventeen."

Ririn seemed to deflate at this news, and her smile vanished. " Killjoy..." she muttered, too quietly for her brother to hear, and slouched over to Urahara's small round table, sitting on a cushion with a _flump_.

"Be that as it may, surely you won't object to a mug of your favorite tea, right Nova?" Kurodo asked, trying to cheer up his friend. Nova smiled softly at this, and took a seat next to Ririn, accepting the cup gratefully and taking a sip. _Ahh. That's good, _he smiled to himself.

…

"Well, I'm off to Orihime's!" Ririn announced brightly a few hours later, at around lunchtime. "She invited me over to have tea, and I don't wanna be late!" she elaborated, walking out the front shop door and closing it with a _snap_.

"I'll... go for a walk." Nova said quietly, standing up as well. Surprisingly, Kurodo had fallen asleep, and was now leaning against the wall, snoring gently.

"Be careful, Nova-san!" Urahara called as a warning from behind his trademark fan. Nova smiled and nodded, then waved kindly as he passed Ururu and Jinta, who were once again sweeping the front of the store.

Nova walked along the sidewalk, kicking a large pebble like a soccer ball and reminiscing about his life before the Hollow attack. He remembered almost everything at this point, except for a few blank spots here and there. He eventually found himself at the park, where a few kids were playing soccer. As he watched them with a fond smile, he received a small shock:

His brother was down there.

Nova found that he couldn't control his limbs as he approached the field, but realized that he didn't want to stop even if he could. It was as if a silent voice was calling him, forcing him forward, but not roughly. In no time at all, he had reached the portion of the field where the kids were playing. He smiled softly as he watched Shuichi pass the ball to Ichigo's little sister, who passed it back just as quickly. Obviously, they were practicing some passing drills.

"Nice one, Minamino!" Karin called, booting the ball at her friend who was playing goalie. The boy managed to stop the ball, but just barely. "Jeez, Kurosaki! Kick it a little _harder_ next time, why don'cha? My arms have gone numb!"

Karin smiled sheepishly. "Sorry!" she called to her teammate, who was rubbing his arms to restore their feeling. Then she walked back to the rest of her team, calling a group huddle. "See what Minamino and I were doing? _That's_ how you pass effectively-" Karin stated, but then her eyes went wide as she sensed a malevolent force in the air, a force few humans can detect. Nova sensed it too, and quickly removed his shield from his back, ready to intercept a Hollow attack. And from the way this force felt, he could tell that it was going to be _big_.

Just as Nova's instincts suggested, the Hollow was huge, at least 18 feet tall at the shoulder and twice as wide. It was standing on 4 legs, and massive magenta-colored tentacles were swaying on its back. It's orange-rimmed eye sockets stared right at Nova, who had jumped between it and the fleeing kids. Not all of them could see it, but instinct told them to get away from there. The only two teens who _could_ see it were the only two that stayed behind, the two that Nova especially didn't want to get hurt. Kurosaki and his own little brother.

At that moment, every single lost memory fell back into place in the teenager's mind, and he breathed, "_No._ ...not again. Not _this_ Hollow. That's impossible!"

Metastacia grinned maliciously, its forked tongue licking its teeth in anticipation. Before it stood three extremely tasty-looking humans, though the tall one looked oddly familiar. It couldn't recall where it had seen the boy before, having consumed so many souls that picking just one to remember was impossible. The Hollow bent forward on its front two legs, exposing the tentacles on its back, aiming them at the three humans, two of which were little more than children. _Ah well,_ the Hollow thought gleefully. _The younger the body, the sweeter the soul!_ Then it attacked.

Nova grimaced and summoned a portal in front of his shield just as the tentacles made contact, sending them stretching into another dimension. He remembered what those tentacles could do if touched, so he was careful to keep his hands behind the defensive device. While Metastacia was still stunned by what was happening, Nova shouted back, "Kurosaki! Shuichi! Run!" But the kids didn't listen. Karakura Red yelled back, "No way! I'm not gonna let you take on that _thing_ alone!" Shuichi just gasped. "N...Nii-sama?!"

Nova grunted with exertion and pain. "This is no time to be a hero, Karin! RUN!" he roared, actually scaring the kids a little with his ferocity. They had always known the teenaged Mod Soul to be mild-mannered and even-tempered. They'd _never_ heard him raise his voice. Karin's eyes widened to round orbs, and she started backing away, grabbing Shuichi's arm and pulling him along with her as she ran. A few tears brimmed in her eyes. _I'm sorry, Nova..._

"Where do you think _you're_ going?!" Metastacia screeched, sending another group of tentacles after the fleeing duo. Nova, however, was quicker. Teleporting in front of the appendages, he created another portal and sucked them into oblivion. "Leave them alone! Your battle is with me, monster!" he shouted, loathing and rage burning in his emerald eyes like the flames of Hell.

Metastacia cackled, having just remembered its young opponent. "I know you! That brat that prevented me from devouring that delectable little morsel a few years ago! It's funny though. I could have sworn the blow I dealt you was fatal..." the Hollow mused aloud, putting a tentacle to the bottom of its mask, as if tapping its chin with a finger.

_It _was_ fatal..._ Nova recalled. _But this fiend need not know that._ Out loud he taunted, "Guess you're not as strong as you think, Hollow! I survived, and I'm more than enough to vanquish scum like you!" he goaded, wanting the monster to shoot out its tentacles again. _Next time that thing attacks, I'll be ready. Let's see how it likes a taste of its _own_ medicine!_

It worked. The Hollow howled in anger at the impudent defiance, and it shot every one of its tentacles at the foolish, brash hero, who stood his ground with a brave, defiant smirk on his face, as if the battle was already won. At the last second, a third rift in space appeared out of nowhere, and once again, Metastacia's tentacles passed harmlessly through the portal and not through its intended victim.

However, this time would be a little different. A second portal appeared above the Huge Hollow just as the first disappeared, and five-dozen feelers came shooting out of the portal, striking the beast behind the mask in its blindspot, where it never saw the attack coming. The enslaving appendages dug into Metastacia's back and neck, where its hierro was weakest, and the beast roared in pain, not expecting its prey to actually find its weak spot, much less exploit it. And certainly not with its own limbs! This human was breaking all the rules! Time to do a little rule-breaking of its own.

When Aaronniero Arruruerie had been destroyed, Metastacia had been the only one to escape alive into Hueco Mundo. All the other Hollows had been destroyed by the last Espada and her two lackeys. Metastacia had discovered that it had absorbed at least one of the traits of a Hollow that had been absorbed with it. That Hollow could create throwing knives from its skin and shoot them at the enemy, exactly like the knives used by the ninja long ago. It was this technique that Metastacia decided to use. _If this brat is allowed a surprise attack, then I am too! Let's see how _he_ likes it!  
_

Nova was breathing hard, a fact that confused him, as he had created dozens of portals before in quick succession without breaking a sweat. Granted, these portals were quite a bit larger than when he'd fought Ichigo and Renji in Urahara's 'training area', but still, there shouldn't be _this_ much of an energy loss! What was going on here?

Distracted as he was, Nova nearly missed the fact that the Hollow had launched yet another assault with its mind-enslaving feelers, and so was barely able to jump out of the way. Unfortunately, this put him straight in the path of the shuriken knives, and the three deadly-sharp blades slashed through his shirt and the skin of his abdomen as if it were made of wet rice paper. By some miracle, however, the gashes were just a hair's breadth from being fatal, but Nova could still pass out from blood loss. Which he did. He was confused at the amount of blood flowing from the new wounds. He was a Mod Soul, and this body was a gigai, right? There shouldn't be _this _much blood!

Nova's last conscious thought was of his family. _Farewell, Mom, Dad, Kurodo, Ririn... Shuichi. I've failed you..._

As the boy lost consciousness, he could have sworn he heard a familiar voice cry out, "Bankai! Kogane no Nejibana!"

Then he knew no more.

* * *

"Wow." Ashido breathed. "The Human World has changed so much since I was here last!" He gasped in wonder at how much more advanced everything looked.

"When _was_ the last time you were here, anyway?" Shuuhei asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, that was even before I got trapped in Hueco Mundo." Ashido shrugged. "It was a time _very_ different from this one. There were real demons living in the same world as the humans. And I'm not talking about Hollows. These were _real_,_ living demons_. Japan was divided into clans, and the feudal lords were always starting wars with each other."

"The _Sengoku Jidai_?! [Warring States Era]" Shuuhei gasped. "Th-that was over 500 years ago! You mean to say you were in Hueco Mundo for half a _millennium_?!"

"Oh, no." Ashido laughed. "That was just what I remember from my last visit to the World of the Living. I didn't go to Hueco Mundo until about 100 years later." he reassured a horrified Hisagi.

"You were still in Hueco Mundo alone, for 400 years..." Shuuhei breathed. "I... I can't even _begin_ to imagine what that's like. All alone, with no way home."

Ashido laughed softly. "It wasn't _that_ bad. "I mean, sure it was kinda lonely after a while, but it sure wasn't boring. All those Adjuchas and Menos to fight. I kept myself busy." He grinned at Shuuhei, who returned it, though his was a bit forced and shadowed. "Don't look so down, Lieutenant. I'm out of there now, so there's no need to think about it anymore." he continued, putting a comradely hand on Shuuhei's shoulder.

…

"Truth be told, I feel a little anxious here." Ashido commented after a minute of companionable silence as they walked through town. Hisagi looked at him questioningly, and he explained himself. "After so many years of constantly battling Hollows on a daily basis, it feels too... quiet here."

"Like the calm before a storm." Shuuhei agreed, and Ashido nodded. "Exactly. You know where I'm coming from."

As if in answer to their conversation, a Hollow's shriek pierced the middle air, followed by the screams of people fleeing from the 'explosions' or 'localized earthquakes' caused by the beast. Shuuhei and Ashido grinned at each other. "Well, my friend," Ashido commented as he smiled. "I believe that this is just what the doctor ordered."

Shuuhei laughed. "I couldn't agree more. Shall we?" he asked in jest, gesturing for his companion to have the first crack at the Hollow. Going along with the joke, Ashido bowed low in answer, then jumped ten feet [3.048 m] into the air, slicing the Hollow perfectly into two equal halves with a single strike, mask and all.

He grinned back at Lieutenant Hisagi, continuing their little game, but then his smile softened as he saw what the young man was doing, which was comforting the soul of a six or seven-year-old girl who had been pursued by the monster. He slowly walked over to where the crying girl stood and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. The girl hiccuped and looked up at him with the biggest brown eyes the ancient Soul Reaper had ever seen.

"Everything's fine now. You're safe." Ashido reassured, and the child visibly relaxed. She was still rather wary of the swords that the two men were carrying at their sides, and thus was still shaking slightly. Ashido seemed to notice this, and he put a hand to the pommel of his zanpakuto.

"We're not gonna hurt you." he promised. "We're Shinigami. It's our job to make sure souls like you get to Soul Society safely. That's 'Heaven' to you." he explained, and the pommel of his soul-slayer started to glow with a strange blue-white seal. The girl looked at it in confusion, then at Shuuhei, who smiled kindly. "That's a Konso, or 'Soul Burial' seal. It allows you to move on to Heaven, where your real adventure begins." he imparted, and the child nodded, closing her eyes and trusting that these 'Shinigami' knew what they were doing.

_Now, let's see if I remember how to do this..._ Ashido thought to himself as he gently pressed the hilt of his sword to the girl's brow, stamping the glowing seal on her forehead. Slowly the spirit of the child faded, leaving in its place a tiny black Hell Butterfly, who fluttered off to parts unknown.

"That was an excellent Konso." Hisagi commented, and Ashido grinned. "Thanks. It's been over 500 years since I last performed one, and I was afraid I'd forgotten how to do it. It's good to see I still remember."

At this, they both laughed, but stopped when they heard a terrified scream. Both Shinigami Flash Stepped to the source of the sound, and gasped when they saw the form of a young girl clinging to the ledge of a 900-foot [274.32 m] cliff, holding on for dear life. And as if that were not enough, a giant centipede-like Hollow was leering over her, ready to strike at any moment. On the top of the mountain was a viewing platform, on which stood a group of at least 50 people, most with cameras and all gasping with horror at the young girl's plight.

Well, _almost_ all. There was once voice that stood out from the rest. "You don't understand! That's my sister! I can pull her up! Let me through!"

"I'm sorry young man, but we can't do that." a security guard answered. "That ledge has been crumbling away for years. It could give way at any moment."

Kurosaki Ichigo continued to struggle against the guards, calling to his kid sister, desperately telling her to hold on. _Damn it! Of all the times to leave my Substitute Combat Pass at home! And as usual, Kon is nowhere to be found. Damn it all!_

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu cried, scared stiff of the Hollow bearing down on her, knowing she was completely powerless. A small rock next to her shivered and fell from its crevice, spinning into the trees below.

Ashido and Hisagi looked at each other, silently nodding. "You get the girl. I'll handle the Hollow." Ashido ordered, and Shuuhei nodded. The red-haired man drew his zanpakuto and taunted the Hollow, trying to divert its attention from the child. Shuuhei knelt down near the ledge, trying not to look at the 900-foot [274.32 m] drop. _Man I'm glad I can fly,_ he thought to himself. Out loud he said, "Take my hand. It's okay."

Yuzu looked at him then, and he could see the fear in her wide brown orbs. _She's got her brother's eyes..._ Shuuhei thought absently. "I... I can't!" the girl quavered, trying to lift one hand away, but then losing her nerve and grabbing the ledge again.

"Yes you can!" Shuuhei encouraged, holding his hand lower so that she could reach it easier. Both Shinigami and human looked over at the other Shinigami, and were slightly surprised to see that Ashido was still battling with the monster. Yuzu tried one more time to grab the Lieutenant's hand, and this time, succeeded. Hisagi smiled as he carefully lifted her away from the rock-face, and helped her to a more stable part of the mountain. His smile grew wider as the girl ran to her brother, who knelt down and hugged his little sister as if he'd never let her go again. Ashido finally dispatched his opponent and came to stand by Shuuhei, who nodded in greeting. They both nodded to Ichigo, who nodded back, wordless thanks shining in his eyes.

_And _that's_ why I became a Shinigami._ Hisagi thought to himself as the two Soul Reapers left. _Because moments like this make it all worthwhile._

* * *

"Urahara-san!" Kaien called, carrying the barely-conscious Nova in his arms. "Please tell me yer here! Urahara-san!"

"What? What? I'm here!" Kisuke yawned, rubbing one of his eyes. Then he spotted the worried Shinigami with the wounded teenager. "Oh my."

"Can you help him?" Kaien asked, all humor absent from his usually carefree attitude.

"I can certainly try." Kisuke answered, taking his exorcism cane and gently tapping Nova's chest with it. Instead of a small green pill emerging though, the boy coughed weakly and a small amount of blood dropped from his mouth and onto the floor.

"Well, _that's _interesting." Urahara muttered to himself, so that Kaien couldn't hear. He tapped his chin with a finger, then looked up at the former Lieutenant. "Could you take him to the back room and make him comfortable? I've already got a bed set up back there."

Kaien nodded and did as he was asked, and soon the barely-conscious Nova was lying on the bed, his green eyes closed in pain and his torn and bloody shirt laying in the trash bin. Urahara was seated next to him, with a number of strange tools at his side.

By this time, quite a crowd had gathered at Urahara's shop, and they were seated around the small table. All of the 'A-team' was there, which included Ichigo, Ishida, Orihime, Rukia, and Sado; the three Mod Souls were present: Kurodo, Kon, and Ririn; Shihoin Yoruichi had dropped by, and was now assisting her old friend in the back room with the 'examination', and Kaien, Ashido and Shuuhei sat by the door. Karin and Yuzu sat by their big brother, and Shuichi Minamino sat next to his soccer teammate. All waiting silently and patiently.

Well, _almost_ all. Ririn was pacing back and forth on the table, her blue wings folded behind her back. She would never admit it out loud, but everyone could tell that she was worried for her best friend.

After a few more minutes, Urahara and Yoruichi walked out of the room and closed the door, and everyone looked up at them with expressions ranging from barely-concerned curiosity (Kon) to outright dread (Shuichi).

"Well, as far as I can tell, other than those nasty cuts in his chest and abdomen from the Hollow, he's a perfectly healthy young man." Urahara grinned, and everyone released the breath they unknowingly had been holding and relaxed in relief.

"That is to say..." Yoruichi began as she stepped up beside Urahara, causing everyone to tense up again, waiting for the news.

"He's human."

* * *

End of Chapter 8

Next chapter teaser: The Shinigami who Loved Me


	9. The Shinigami who Loved Me

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 9: The Shinigami Who Loved Me

* * *

"...As you can plainly see behind me from an amateur video camera at the site of the miracle a few days ago, clearly there is something supernatural going on in Karakura town and the surrounding area. The person behind the camera clearly captures the fear on this child's face, and experts in physics have determined that there was no possible way that she could have pulled herself up from this position, not without outside influence. So this begs the question: Are there _angels_ among us?"

_Click_.

"Well, Lieutenant Hisagi. Have you anything to say for yourself?" Head Captain Yamamoto growled at the highest-ranked member of Squad 9, who wouldn't meet the General's eyes.

"No sir." Shuuhei answered, face downcast. "Nothing."

"With this impulsive and foolish act, you have risked the exposure of the entire Soul Society to the Living World, two spheres that _should not_ mix. If regular humans were to find out about our existence, there would be utter chaos! It's bad enough with the Hollows as it is. We wouldn't have enough Shinigami to oversee the 'road' between the Living World and here! Do you understand?" Genryuusai Soutaicho growled, glaring at the chastened young man, who stood patiently with his hands folded behind his back.

"I understand, Soutaicho-dono." Shuuhei answered, just loud enough for the assembly to hear. He was the only Lieutenant present in a room full of captains, and this only added to his feelings of self-consciousness.

"Very well." the Head Captain sighed. "You are dismissed, Lieutenant. I'm sure you have a great deal to do."

Shuuhei bowed respectfully, leaving the room silently and with a red face. He understood the reason behind his admonition, but he didn't see why all the Captains had to be there as well. Then he came to a realization. _It's because I'm basically the leader of Squad 9. Everyone looks to _me_ to make the big decisions, ever since Tousen-taichou left. I have to set an example._

As Shuuhei left the Squad 1 barracks, he looked to his newest friend from Hueco Mundo, who was waiting for his own summons to appear before the captains. Hisagi smiled at Ashido, then nodded back to the huge double doors behind him. "They're ready for you now. Go on in." he invited, and Ashido nodded humbly, just a little nervous.

Shuuhei laughed. "There's no need for _you_ to be nervous. You haven't done anything dangerous. They just wanna figure out which seat you should be."

"I know. But it's been 400 years since I was here last. I highly doubt I'll recognize anybody except for Yamamoto Soutaicho-dono." Ashido admitted, his cheeks as red as his hair.

"You'll be fine. Trust me." Shuuhei assured, slapping the other man's shoulder affectionately before walking out of the barracks.

* * *

"That wasn't very fair of Head Captain Yamamoto." Isane muttered to the young man a few days later, though she kept avoiding his eyes. "You were trying to preserve human life. There's nothing wrong with that."

Shuuhei shrugged. "I think it's more what I _didn't_ do than what I _did_. I forgot to use a memory-modifier on the crowd, and I wasn't even thinking about all the cameras. He's right though. It _was_ foolish and impulsive."

Isane scowled. "Well I don't care_ what_ he calls it. It was still a heroic thing to do, not to mention the _right_ thing. You should get a medal, not yelled at."

Shuuhei smiled. "Doing the right thing is its own reward. And the look on Kurosaki's face was all the thanks I needed. I don't think I've ever seen him so... emotional."

"Now that you mention it, he is quite a bit less grumpy than he was. Do you think it was something to do with his inner Hollow?" Isane asked, looking at her fellow lieutenant.

Hisagi shrugged again. "That's possible, but I always thought it was because of his mother. All these years he's been grieving inside and blaming himself for her death. Now, he's finally begun to forgive himself; let himself show emotion again."

After a few minutes of companionable silence, Isane changed the subject. "So..." she began. "How's Kazeshini?"

Shuuhei snorted. "Pretty much the same as always. He still hates my guts, and I feel the same about him." he chuckled humorlessly. "I'll never achieve Bankai with _him_. He's too stubborn and unpredictable."

"_Look who's talking._" a cynical voice sneered in his subconscious. Hisagi sighed. "I've been told he has a compassionate side, but he'd commit seppuku before he'd let _me_ see it." Suddenly he laughed. "But recently a little bird told me that he's got his eyes on a certain Zanpakuto." he snickered, causing the wind demon in his Inner World to fly into a raging fit. "_I do NOT! Who told you THAT?!_"

POOF! "Oh yeah. He's got it _bad_ for a certain female sword." Haineko giggled, startling the two Shinigami as she suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Don't get him _too_ mad, or my subconscious world will be a mess." Shuuhei laughed, but the request was serious as he warned the ash cat Zanpakuto. He could hear the demon breaking everything in his range of vision, and he sighed inwardly. You're_ replacing those. I hope you know that._ he told his sword, to which an irate Kazeshini responded eloquently, "Urusei, baka!"

"You're not going to tell us who it is?" Isane asked, looking at the cat-girl incredulously. "Usually you and Tobiume jump at the chance to gossip."

Haineko blushed. "Well... it's not that simple this time. The story's kinda involved, and..." she trailed off, tracing random patterns on the floor with her foot.

Shuuhei grinned mischievously. "Would I know the Zanpakuto, or at least her Shinigami? Or is it just a regular Squad member?"

Haineko turned as red as her hair. " Well, I can't tell you that. It would give too much away. But I _can_ tell you that this person isn't in Squad 9..."

_Well, that doesn't exactly narrow things down,_ Hisagi frowned, but then he heard something else break in his Inner World. _But, all things considered, I'll take it. I'm pretty sure I know who it is anyway._ he smiled, thinking of the young woman who had captured his heart a long time ago, and to whom he had rarely spoken in all these years.

"So what do you think of the 'new' addition to Squad 5?" Isane asked conversationally after Haineko had left, saying something about going drinking with her Shinigami. Isane was glad when the topic had changed, not wanting anyone to know that she'd had a crush on a fellow Lieutenant for the longest time.

"I think he could make Captain in a few years." Hisagi commented, all humor gone from his face. "He's more than experienced enough, and he's already got Bankai. It's just a matter of time getting the Squads and Captains to get to know and trust him."

"So all in all,_ way _better than his predecessor." Isane surmised, and Shuuhei laughed again. "Oh, by _leaps _and_ bounds_. Now all we need is one for Squad 3 and one for 9." he added. "Kira's already stated that he's definitely not interested in being Captain, and Wabisuke is very opposed to the idea of Bankai."

"Well what about _you_?" Isane asked, and Hisagi balked. "_Me?!_ No way! I couldn't give Kira orders like that! He's my best friend!"

"I meant Squad 9, silly. I know you would never go to 3 as Captain." Isane smiled, giving the man a friendly shove.

"Oh." Hisagi replied. "I knew that." he muttered, averting his eyes and blushing in embarrassment.

"Why not? Everyone in Squad 9 basically see you as their Captain anyway. I'd vote for you." Isane continued, and Shuuhei turned redder. "Well, like I said, I'll never achieve Bankai with Kazeshini. He's too unpredictable. That and we can't stand each other." Hisagi answered, inwardly glaring at his inner demon, but the red-and-black-colored Zanpakuto had left his Inner World. "That's the only way I'd ever make Captain."

"Wasn't there another way? How did Zaraki-taichou do it?" Isane asked, but Shuuhei was already shaking his head before she'd finished.

"Zaraki Kenpachi was named Captain because he killed the previous captain in a fair contest in front of 100 squad members as witnesses. As you know, that's not possible for me now. Tousen is already dead. Aizen killed him and Gin. No. The only way is for me and Kazeshini to achieve Bankai, and prove it in front of two or more captains and the Head Captain. And that's about as likely as Ukitake-taichou recovering from his sickness and healing 100%. In other words, it's not gonna happen any time soon."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Zanpakuto dimension, Kazeshini was muttering angrily to himself and kicking a small pebble in front of him, not concentrating on anything in particular. Because of this, he didn't notice a young woman in a blue wave-print kimono until it was too late. Then he smacked right into her.

"Watch where yer goin', ya blind moron!" the wind demon shouted at the girl he'd collided with. The stranger got back to her feet and yelled right back, "_You_ should talk! Walk much? Or is this your first time?" she taunted.

"Why you little..." Kazeshini seethed furiously, not accustomed to such backtalk. Because of the way he looked, he was more used to female Zanpakuto turning tail and fleeing at the very _sight_ of him. Well, except for one.

"Kaze, don't be such a jerk. At least apologize the next time you run into someone!" Kotetsu Isane's Zanpakuto, Itegumo, chided. Turning from the red-faced demon to the young woman, the sword extended her hand. "I'm Itegumo. Nice to meet you."

The newcomer took Itegumo's hand and shook it. "Itonami. My Shinigami just got placed in Squad 9 today, fresh out of the Academy. Although, with her and my abilities, we'd be better suited for Squad 4..." Itonami confessed, shyly drawing in the dirt with her sandal.

"Ah, so yer clumsy_ and_ useless." Kazeshini commented mockingly, and in answer Itonami delivered a hard kick to the Zanpakuto spirit, right where it hurts the most. Needless to say, the wind demon sank to his knees and hunched over, groaning and muttering obscenities under his breath.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Itonami asked, a defiant smirk on her face. "And you might wanna speak up, I'm afraid I don't speak pain."

"Oho! Burn! Quick, someone call the Fire Brigade!" Suzumebachi burst out laughing. "I can tell we're going to be fast friends, Itonami!" the bee-girl grinned, buzzing around the young woman and winking conspiratorially as if they'd been friends for years.

"You ask me, he's had that comin' for a while." Houzukimaru commented, his arms crossed and an impressed smirk on his face. "About time some o' the other girls stood up to him. Been gettin' real cocky."

"I agree, and that much cockiness is not beautiful at all." Ruri'iro Kujaku answered, standing by his friend.

"She... lacks restraint." Hyorinmaru stated disapprovingly, also crossing his arms.

"Oh, lighten up, Hyorinmaru-dono." Sode no Shirayuki interjected, coming up to stand beside her fellow ice-type Zanpakuto. "She's new. It takes a while for some to adjust, that's all. I'm sure she'll fit right in in no time." And with that, she walked off to introduce herself to the new girl in 'town'. Hyorinmaru sighed. _Just what we need. _Another_ water-type Zanpakuto with an attitude..._

…

It's really nice to meet you all, with one exception." Itonami smiled in a friendly way, but smirking evilly when she came to Kazeshini, who was still steamed at her. "Like Miss Suzumebachi said, I can tell we're gonna be fast friends." Most of the other Zanpakuto nodded and smiled back, excluding one.

"There _was_ another reason I came here, though. I've been searching for years, but I never could find him. Would any of you happen to know a Zanpakuto called Nejibana?" Itonami asked, and most of the Zanpakuto gasped, especially Sode no Shirayuki.

"Why?" she asked, approaching the young woman with cerulean-blue eyes and long, matching hair. "Why are you searching for _him_?"

Itonami sighed sadly. "Because he's my big brother."

* * *

"Alright, Squad 9. Let's kick some behind on this mission. Some of you will find this just another boring, routine Hollow cleanup, but for others this is your first mission as a member of a squad." At this, Shuuhei looked pointedly at the newest recruit, who ducked her head shyly and tried to disappear into the group.

"For those of you who are new to this squad, let me just remind you: You have done _all of this_ before at the Academy. You know what you're doing. The only thing holding you back is your own fear. The only thing you lack is experience. Now, get out there and show those Hollows what you're made of!"

"YEAH!" the group of Shinigami roared as one, inspired by their Lieutenant's speech, and ran as a unit through West Rukongai to the outskirts, where there had been many reported Hollow attacks recently. Hana Aevum tried her best to feel excited about this, her first day in the field, but the only thing she felt was sick to her stomach from nerves. Her Lieutenant was right. She _did_ do all this stuff at the Academy, but not with total strangers, or with_ real_ Hollows.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and her peripheral vision told her that a Shinigami with a sleeveless shihakusho was running beside her. "You got this." he smiled at her, intending to calm her nerves. But all the poor girl could think was, _Please Kami don't let me throw up on him..._

And then came the Hollow. The soldier next to Hana whistled. "Whoa. Big sucker." Hana could only nod as she drew her weapon. As if in answer, ten more large Hollows materialized all around the group, effectively penning them in.

_You gotta be kidding me._ Hisagi thought to himself._ This is just like with Abarai, Kira, and Momo..._ Wasting no time, he immediately Flash Stepped to the new girl's side, guessing that she'd need help more than the others. He drew his own blade and called out, "Reap, Kazeshini!"

But nothing happened. All around him came Shikai release commands, and the unmistakeable cries of Hollows, but his own zanpakuto wouldn't respond.

"Kazeshini! What's the matter with you?! Normally you'd jump at a chance like this! _Reap, Kazeshini_!" Shuuhei yelled at his sword, but it still didn't transform.

A Hollow took a swipe at him while he was distracted, and its claw cut his arm from his bicep to his wrist, causing blood to spurt everywhere. At the sight of the red liquid, something changed in Hana. Suddenly she stood up straighter, and her blue eyes seemed to glow. She raised her zanpakuto skyward and called, "Noboru[Rise], Itonami!"

The sword suddenly curved itself toward the side, and its tip flattened, now resembling a double-edged scimitar more than a katana. The blade also seemed to shimmer, as if it were surrounded by a paper-thin layer of water. Hana suddenly leapt up into the air, facing the Hollow that had injured her commanding officer, and sliced through the monster's mask as if it were made of wet paper. All around them, the other squad members paired up and took out the remaining Huge Hollows, and in no time peace returned to West Rukongai once more.

"We need to get Squad 4 out here! The Lieutenant's hurt bad!" one squad member shouted, but Hana held up a hand. "Allow me. I can do this." she assured, turning to her superior. "Itonami." she called, and her zanpakuto responded. The film of water around her blade suddenly moved of its own accord and wrapped itself around Shuuhei's arm instead. "Heal." Hana whispered, and the water began to glow like her eyes had earlier.

After a few minutes, Itonami returned to its sealed form, and Hana sheathed her blade, breathing heavily but smiling. The coating of water dripped off the Lieutenant's arm, and he flexed the muscles experimentally. He looked at Hana in surprise, and confusion bloomed on his face when he saw that hers was beet-red. "Good as new." he breathed as if he couldn't believe it, and the rest of the squad heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Just then the new girl collapsed to her knees, and would have fallen flat on her face had Shuuhei not caught her at the last second. Some of the squad members looked concerned, but Hisagi reassured them. "She just fainted from exhaustion. We'll take her back to the barracks. She'll be fine in a few hours." Then, he and the rest of the group Flash Stepped back to Seireitei and the Squad 9 barracks.

* * *

"Nii-sama?" Shuichi gasped as he waited in the hospital lobby, desperately praying that his big brother would be alright, that the surgery would go well. Nozomi Minamino had come with him, as she was technically still Nova's legal guardian. She humored her youngest son in signing the hospital forms, even though she knew that the scenario that Shuichi was describing was impossible. Nova Minamino had _died_ three years ago. The doctors had told her personally. What Shuichi believed was just a delusion borne of grief.

What a delusion to have, though! Nozomi wanted to believe that her son was alive. She wanted to believe it with all her heart. But science told her it was impossible. No matter what her heart was telling her, no one can come back from the dead. Not even someone as pure-hearted and good as her son had been.

Ishida Uryuu stepped through the door into the hospital out to the lobby. He spotted Shuichi and walked over, sitting down beside the red-headed boy.

"He's doing fine. The surgery went really well, and he's in recovery now. It'll still be a few more hours until he wakes up."

Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief, and Uryuu smiled kindly. "How many stitches did he need?" he asked suddenly, and Uryuu's smile turned playful. "Guess."

"A hundred?" Shuichi guessed, a worried look in his green eyes.

"Close. 96." the teen corrected, trying to cheer up the stricken boy. "Relax, okay? He's going to be fine. Trust me. Ishida Ryuuken may not be the best father in the world, but he definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to being a physician."

"Was that a compliment, Uryuu? I'm shocked." the doctor in question commented dryly as he stepped into the room. Nozomi Minamino stood from her chair and approached the silver-haired Quincy, asking, "How is any of this possible, doctor? I mean, Dr. Kurosaki said that they lost him three years ago. How could he be _alive_ now?"

Ryuuken sighed. "Honestly, Minamino-san, I haven't the slightest idea. All we can say is that... it's nothing less than a miracle. Sometimes things happen in life. Miracles that can't be explained. This is one of those times. Your son is expected to make a full recovery, Minamino-san. You needn't worry about him." Ryuuken smiled, a rare thing for him. Suddenly his cell phone rang, and the Quincy answered on the second ring, stepping into an empty examination room to take the call.

"What is it _now_, Kurosaki?" Ryuuken growled into the device. "Look, it's not _my_ problem if _you_ are short on equipment. Just because you married my sister doesn't mean you can just ask for favors all the time. The civil days when we fought side-by-side are over, Kurosaki. Get your head in the game." Click.

Uryuu was gaping like a beached fish. "Ichigo's _father_ is your brother-in-law?!" he gasped, barely able to keep his voice at an incredulous whisper.

"Yes. What of it?" Ryuuken shrugged, nonchalant as he could be about the whole thing.

_That means Ichigo is my first cousin!_ Uryuu realized, this revelation leaving him thunderstruck and speechless. He turned back to his father, only to realize he had stepped out to light up a cigarette. _At least he's not smoking in the building_... Uryuu thought absently, the majority of his thoughts still concentrated on the mind-numbing revelation of his immediate family tree.

"You never thought to _tell_ me about this?" Uryuu confronted his father, who just continued to blow tobacco smoke into the air. "I'd always thought you were an only child!"

"I never said I was." Ryuuken shrugged. You've never shown _any_ interest in me before. Why start now?" he asked, looking askance at his son, who wouldn't meet his gaze. "It was always your grandfather who was the 'interesting' one. 'Sensei this' or 'Souken jii-chan that'."

"Quit with the guilt trip." Uryuu growled. "I heard enough of it from Mom growing up. I just thought you _might_ mention your _sister once_ to your only _son_!" he ended up shouting at the end.

"Calm yourself, Uryuu. Getting flustered won't help anything, and it'll just get you odd looks." Ryuuken chided, and Uryuu looked down again. "I never mentioned Masaki because it hurt too much. It _still_ hurts." he finally admitted.

Uryuu looked at his father fully for the first time. Really _looked_ at him. "Your grandmother left with Masaki when I was eight. She was five. I never knew why. Despite our separation, though, we stayed close in each other's hearts.

"Years passed, and we both grew up. Souken, your grandfather, trained me to become a Quincy, and I in turn taught Masaki. Mother was furious, and she forbade Masaki from seeing me or Father. Your grandmother hated the Quincy, you see. She couldn't stand that her husband and both her children were... abnormal.

"But that didn't stop my sister. When she was sixteen she ran away from our mother's new house and came all the way back to me and Father. I was so happy to see her that I never considered the consequences, never dreamed of what Mother might do."

Uryuu gasped then, completely immersed in his father's story. Ryuuken sighed heavily, then continued. "She filed for divorce, had Souken declared legally insane, accusing him of kidnapping her daughter, and disowned both me and Masaki. Father lost his job as a physician, and we were forced to move to a town that didn't know anything about us.

"That's when we first met Kurosaki." Ryuuken huffed in annoyance, but Uryuu gasped again. "We had moved to Karakura, and he had just gone into his little self-imposed exile from Soul Society, as he had lost his Shinigami powers. Masaki took one look at him and fell in love on the spot. And he with her."

Ryuuken glanced at his son again, then smirked briefly. It was the first time Uryuu had seen his father smile. At _him_, anyway. "I'll spare you the mushy stuff, but long story short, we teamed up as a threesome and vanquished Hollows together, working with the Shinigami guardian of that time. And when we weren't doing that, we were helping the living. Masaki worked with her boyfriend at his new pediatric and internal medicine clinic, and I took over our father's business at the hospital. I eventually met your mother, and two years later, both Masaki and I got married to the ones we loved. I to your mother and Masaki to Kurosaki. And the rest is ancient history."

Ryuuken sighed and smothered his cigarette in the nearby ash-tray, then produced a water bottle from nowhere to quench his dry throat. Uryuu was speechless. He'd had no idea that Ichigo's father and his own had been so close.

"We actually got to be pretty close friends, Isshin and I." Ryuuken stated, continuing his tale and startling Uryuu, who thought he'd finished. "Until that fateful day, June 17, eight years ago. When I lost both my father and my beloved sister. After that, I swore I'd never shoot another Quincy arrow again, and I kept my promise... until you needed your powers to save your friend in Hueco Mundo."

Uryuu gasped for the third time that day, but this time it was laden with sadness. "Is _that_ why you hate Kurosaki? Because he didn't save Masaki from Grand Fisher?" Ichigo had finally told him what happened that day after much prodding and coercion. "Then why do you still help him when it concerns their small clinic?"

"Masaki." was his father's only answer, and Uryuu fell silent. "She'd never forgive me if Kurosaki or his family needed help and I didn't give it whenever possible."

"You really loved your sister." Uryuu breathed, shattering his long-held belief that his father could not love anyone.

"Your other question wasn't entirely correct." Ryuuken stated, ignoring his son's latest realization. "I_ did_ blame Kurosaki for her death, but that wasn't the only reason I hated him. He's a Shinigami, and Shinigami took my father from me. I believe you and I share the same feelings on this particular point." he inferred, and Uryuu nodded. He had hated Ichigo for _exactly_ the same reason.

"You always said that you hated being a Quincy, though. Why? Why did you say that when you clearly reveled in it?" Uryuu argued, and Ryuuken sighed again.

"You only asked me that once, when you were nine, right?" Ryuuken asked, drawing on his own memories of the event. "It was just after Masaki died and Souken was taken. I made up that lie because I didn't want _you_, my only son, to face and bear all the sorrow I felt. I wanted to discourage you from becoming a Quincy, but as anyone can plainly see, that plan failed miserably. The Pride of the Quincy is in your blood. In your very _soul_. I can no more extinguish it than raise the dead. Both are impossible for normal mortals."

Uryuu bowed his head, brought nearly to tears by this new information. His father_ did_ love him. Enough to try to shield him from the loss he had faced.

"I asked you once before that time." Uryuu reminded him. "When I was about six."

Ryuuken looked up at the sky. "Ah yes. You and your mother were at the table." he recalled. "That time, I was remembering what happened with my... our mother. I didn't want your mother to leave me and take you away from me. I didn't think I could handle that kind of loss as my... our father had with Masaki." Ryuuken chuckled darkly. "What you never saw, what I made _sure_ you never saw, was my releasing my true feelings in the form of Quincy arrows. I would sneak out of the house when you and your mother were both asleep, and I would take out my anger and frustration on those damned Hollows. It was a good catharsis. Or sometimes on a peaceful night, Masaki and I would send notes to each other by shooting a Seele Schneider back and forth across town." he chuckled, though this time light humor danced in his dark eyes.

...

"So if Masaki was a Quincy, does that make Ichigo a Quincy too?" Uryuu asked sometime later as they watched Nova, making sure that he didn't hurt himself accidentally when he woke up from the anesthesia.

"No. It just makes him... unique." Ryuuken corrected, thinking of his nephew's unheard-of parentage. "Half Quincy, half Shinigami, human, part Hollow. Jeez. The only part missing is those things from Hell."

"Actually Father, remember what I told you about the incident with his little sister?"

"Man. This just proves my point. Kurosaki's boy is a mutt if I ever saw one."

...

Miles away, Kurosaki Ichigo sneezed. "Bless you!" Orihime whispered, passing him a tissue from her bag. He nodded in thanks, then turned back to pay attention to the teacher.

* * *

_Groan._ "Mom! C'mere, quick! He's waking up!" Shuichi gasped, and Nozomi ran to her son's bedside. Nova groaned again, then slowly opened his emerald eyes.

"N...Nii-sama?" Shuichi gasped, and Nova's eyes flicked over to look at him. "S-Shuichi..." he whispered weakly, finding it hard to breathe with all the stitches in his abdomen.

"It's... it's really you." Nozomi gasped, and Nova looked into his mother's eyes for the first time in 2½ years. "You're alive."

"...Mom..." Nova smiled tiredly, then he fell asleep again, exhausted from the anesthesia. Nozomi smiled, so happy that she was crying, and kissed her oldest son on the forehead. "My boy," she whispered. "You've come back to us." A single tear ran down her cheek, but she wiped it away with her hand before it dropped to the floor. "It's a miracle, isn't it Mom?" Shuichi asked, not really needing an answer, but he got one anyway.

"It sure is, Shuichi. It's a miracle."

* * *

"See you on Monday, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called to her friend as they parted ways at the school gate.

"Ah. Ja ne, Inoue." the teen called back, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and counting down to himself. "San... ni... ichi..." Then he ducked as a white-and-gray blur sailed over his head and smashed into the sidewalk. "Iiii-chiii-gooo-OW!" Keigo yelped as his face connected with the unyielding concrete. "You weren't supposed to duck!" he complained, giving his friend a dirty look.

Ichigo huffed. "Well, sorry if I didn't feel like getting tackled today. You alright?" he asked, holding out a hand to help his friend up.

Keigo's nose looked a bit red, but he shrugged it off, taking the offered hand and pulling himself to his feet. "Nah. It'll take more than a face-plant on concrete to keep Asano Keigo down!" he announced proudly, making Ichigo sweatdrop at his friend's exuberance. Then he laughed boisterously, causing the sweatdrop to get bigger. "Say Ichigo, while I got ya here, you wanna hang out at the arcade? They just got a really cool lookin' new game! How 'bout it?" he asked, pulling his best 'puppy-dog eyes' look.

Ichigo made a face, one that said 'I-can't-believe-I'm-friends-with-this-fruitloop', but then shrugged, "Sure. Why not. It's not like I've got any plans for today."

Keigo's jaw dropped. "Seriously?! You actually said 'Yes'?! Oh Kami, the world is ending! Run!" then he pretended to faint theatrically.

Ichigo smirked and picked up his friend by the back of his uniform collar, setting him on his feet. "You're such a ham..." he growled, then pushed the other teenager in the direction of the nearest arcade.

…

"Man! How do you get so good at these?!" Keigo pouted as Ichigo beat him soundly at the fifth game in a row. Ichigo shrugged. "I'm a Substitute Shinigami. I need lightning-quick reflexes, or I'dve been a goner a long time ago."

"I guess that's true..." Keigo muttered, then he ran over to a VR Simulator and donned a helmet. "This one's based on Duel Monsters! Bet I can beat you at _this_ one, Ichigo!" he laughed, his perpetual excitement and child-like glee surfacing once again. Ichigo's brown eyes sparked with a challenge, and he grinned, donning another helmet. "You're on!"

After the two friends had defeated the 'Five-God Dragon' and saved Sim-lau, Ichigo once again earning the victory with double the points that Keigo had, the friends decided that it was time to call it quits and head home. Keigo's sister had called and requested some juice, so her brother would swing by a vendor on the way home. Since they would be taking the same route for a while, the boys decided to accompany each other.

As they passed a halfway-completed skyscraper construction site, Keigo inexplicably stopped and put a hand to his chest. "Right here." he mumbled, and Ichigo turned to look at him. "What?"

"This is the spot where that huge blue mosquito thing stabbed me and tried to absorb my soul." Keigo explained, and Ichigo's expression softened, his own memories of the incident replaying in his mind. "The Bitto. The Dolls the Bounto used to get stronger, by consuming concentrated, living souls." he snarled, a look of disgust on his face.

"That was the first time I saw you as a Shinigami." Keigo recalled, and his friend's expression softened again, this time looking concerned.

"I really thought I wouldn't be able to save you." he confessed. "The Bitto had already taken a good portion of your soul. I was so afraid that one of my best friends was going to die." he sighed, looking at Keigo in relief, glad that it had all turned out okay in the end.

"Really?" Keigo asked in surprise, and Ichigo nodded. He wasn't used to the orange-haired teenager showing this much emotion. Then he frowned in confusion. "How come I could see you only _then_? I mean, you'd obviously been a Shinigami for a while. Why couldn't I see you before?"

Ichigo sighed. "Rukia explained this to me once. 'Shinigami are spirits. They can only be seen by other spirits.' At that time, you were on the verge of... well, you know, so that's why you could see me. I guess. That's how that Koga guy explained it, anyway." he shrugged.

Keigo still looked confused. "But what about after that? I could see you when you jumped into Hueco Mundo to save Orihime. And I wasn't near death then."

Ichigo smiled slightly. "That's 'cause I donated some of my reiatsu, or 'spirit energy', so that you would recover. I didn't want to lose one of my best friends in this world."

"So, a part of your _spirit_... is in _me_ now?" Keigo asked, thunderstruck.

Ichigo shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal. It's just like a blood transfusion, really. No need to be alarmed." he explained, and Keigo relaxed. "Oh, that's okay then."

Ichigo smiled and shook his head, amused.

After several minutes of silence, Keigo commented, "Y'know, you seem so much more... relaxed nowadays. Like you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. Did something happen during your 'rescue' mission to that Hollow-place?"

Ichigo turned pensive for a moment. What could he tell him? That he'd been an unknowing vessel for Kaien's heart since birth? Or that his Inner Hollow had split from his soul and now lived in Hueco Mundo? No. He'd probably get chucked in a mental institute for saying stuff like _that_. Even if it _was_ all true.

"Something like that." he shrugged, shoving his fists into his pockets. "Among other things, I guess I finally realized that my Mom's death wasn't my fault, and I stopped blaming myself for it." He didn't like lying to his friend, but his statement _was_ true, in part.

"Way to kill the mood, O Master of Depressing-ness." Keigo teased suddenly, and Ichigo's mood changed faster than flicking on a light-switch. "Oh, that's it! Get back here!" he grinned, and the two friends began a Calvin-and-Hobbes-esque chase all the way to Keigo's apartment.

* * *

_Cough. Cough. Cough._ Juushiro groaned as he held an ice-bag to his head in an effort to soothe his massive headache. Kiyone poked her head into the doorway and asked in concern, "Can I get you anything, Ukitake-taichou-sama?"

"Oh, no thank you, Kiyone." Juushiro smiled, causing his subordinate to flush beet-red.

"You should be lying down and resting, taichou-sama." she chided gently, her face turning, if possible, even redder. Ukitake smiled again. "It's alright. I'm feeling better today." he waved, looking out the window at his giant koi pond. "Did I ever tell you about the origin of this particular pond?" he asked, and Kiyone suddenly snapped to attention, just like a soldier would.

"H-hai, Ukitake-taichou-sama!" she answered. "You told all of us Squad members that Lieutenant Shiba accidentally flooded the place when he learned his sword's name. I remember it like it was yesterday." she giggled. "His face was so red!"

Ukitake laughed too. "Yes. I remember." Then he turned pensive. "It's a bit of a mystery, that this pond still exists. The water was created from Nejibana's energy. When Kaien died, his Zanpakuto supposedly died with him. And when that happened, the water should have disappeared. But, here it is." he gestured out the window, looking as if he were confused and intrigued at the same time.

Kiyone gasped, an epiphany suddenly striking her. "Could that mean... that Kaien's Zanpakuto still lives?! Or even... his Shinigami-?"

"No." Juushiro suddenly interrupted, startling the 3rd seat. "That's impossible. The idea that Kaien Shiba could be _alive_-" he broke off, succumbing to another round of harsh coughs, effectively ending _that_ conversation.

"But... how would one explain the pond, then?" Kiyone mumbled, confused. Then she shook her head to clear her thoughts and did her best to help her captain.

"By the way, where is Sentarou?" Ukitake asked, and Kiyone grimaced. "He's off training some new recruits. I would be helping him, but he insisted that I wasn't needed, so I came here to help _you_ with anything." she trailed off, looking bashfully at the floor. Ukitake smiled, grateful that he had such tireless subordinates, who carried out orders without question, sometimes even without being asked.

"Um... I don't wanna jinx it by saying this, but you've been having quite a few 'good days' lately. Is it... could it be possible that you are slowly recovering?" Kiyone asked, daring to hope that her words had come true.

Ukitake shrugged. "Anything's possible, Kiyone." He looked out the window at Kaien's pond again. "Anything's possible."

* * *

"Aniki! Aniki! Dokoda?" Ganju called, wandering around the Shiba residence and calling for his sister. "This ain't 'Hide 'n Seek' ya know!" he bellowed, throwing open another set of doors.

The final room he came to was guarded by the family bodyguards, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko. Ganju approached them and made to enter the cannon room, but they blocked the doorway.

"Forgive us, Ganju-sama, but Miss Kukkaku expressly requested that she not be disturbed. Please, it would be best to respect her privacy." the pair pleaded in unison, but Ganju ignored them, shoving them out of the way to both sides where they sprawled comically on the floor. He flung open the heavy metal door, and was greeted by the sounds of soft snorting and the clear noises of a young woman weeping in the total blackness.

"Hey, Sis, you seen Bonnie-chan arou-" Ganju blurted, but froze when he realized what was happening. His sister; strong, loud, abrasive Kukkaku Shiba, was _hugging_ the aforementioned boar around the neck and _crying_. Ganju had never seen her so much as shed a tear before, and now she was sobbing into the boar's mane as if her heart had burst.

Suddenly she looked up, wiping the tears from her teal eyes with her left arm. "G-Ganju?" she sniffled, and Bonnie ran over to her younger master and tackled him to the floor, shoving her pink snout in his face and grunting in greeting. Ganju laughed and shoved her face away from his so he could get up. Then he looked at his sister, who was still kneeling in the same spot.

"What're you two doin' in here?" Ganju asked, clueless. "And what's with the waterworks, Sis?"

Kukkaku looked down at her wooden right arm. "It's the anniversary."

"Of what? Yer arm getting blown off in that accident?" Ganju asked, then he realized too late that what he'd said was very rude and insensitive.

"No, stupid!" Kukkaku growled, returning to her usual personality for a moment before looking down again. "Well actually, it's _that_ anniversary too, but the main one I was thinking of was... Nii-sama..." she sniffed, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Bonnie got into the house and somehow got in here. I was gonna chew you out for not tying her up well enough, but you weren't around. So I went to get her out myself. All of a sudden it hit me. I looked at my useless right arm, the cannon, Bonnie, and it got to me. I couldn't stop the tears, or the memories." she explained, sinking to her knees and gripping her wooden right elbow with her left hand, crying again.

_That's right_, Ganju recalled._ Kaien built this cannon originally, and _he_ came up with the Kido spells to fire it. He found and tamed Bonnie-chan, _and _he carved that wooden arm for Kukkaku after her accident. No wonder Sis broke down in here. There's too many memories of Big Brother..._

He walked over to his older sister, kneeling down and putting an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle side-hug.

"I know Sis..." he muttered. "I miss him too. But he wouldn't have wanted us to break down like this. He was always telling us to be strong and look out for each other, just like he always looked out for us."

Kukkaku sniffled. _That might be the deepest thing Ganju's ever said..._ Then out of nowhere, her stomach growled audibly.

Ganju laughed. "Come on, Aniki. Let's get some dinner."

* * *

Worlds away, Kaien was deep in thought, studying the tattoo on his left arm, the one that marked him as a member of the Shiba clan. He looked up at the starlit sky, his teal eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Despite what he'd told Isshin and the others the night that they'd escaped from Hueco Mundo, He missed his brother and sister terribly. An aching pain throbbed in his heart whenever he pictured their faces, but he was also smiling as a droplet ran from his eye to his temple before disappearing into his hair. He sat up from his position on the roof, turning his gaze to his new guest, who had been trying to be quiet.

"Couldn't sleep either, Ichigo?" Kaien asked knowingly, and the Substitute Shinigami nodded, sitting down next to the other Soul Reaper with a _huff_. "No. It feels so weird. I mean, ever since I can remember, I've always felt this... pressure in my heart area. I didn't know what it was, but it didn't really bother me, so I just accepted it as I grew up. But now that it's gone..." he trailed off, looking up at the stars.

"You feel incomplete, like something's missing." Kaien finished, and the teen nodded. "Exactly."

Kaien smiled knowingly. "I'm afraid that there's nothing for it but to get used to it again. That 'pressure' was me, or more accurately, my heart, pushing against your spirit. You grew up with that... 'abnormality', and now that it's been removed, 'normal' feels weird and empty." he sighed, and Ichigo nodded. That was exactly how it felt.

"I'm sorry about that." Kaien apologized, looking sideways at his former 'host'.

Ichigo snorted. "Why're you apologizing? You had no control over what happened. It was in Kami's hands."

"Cause I feel responsible, that's why!" Kaien snapped, then he looked down at his feet. "Sorry for that too. That was uncalled for."

"What's up with the bad mood? From what I've heard from Rukia, you're just about my polar opposite when it comes to personality." Ichigo asked, and Kaien sighed. "I miss them. My brother and sister." he whispered softly, looking at his family tattoo again.

Ichigo looked down too, then put a gentle hand on Kaien's shoulder and muttered, "I can't believe I'm saying something _this _cheesy, but you know they're always with you, right? In here." he pulled back his hand and put it over his cardiac organ. "And that works both ways."

Kaien smiled, then quietly laughed once. "You're right, Ichigo. Thanks." he smiled. Then he climbed down into the house via his bedroom window and chuckled, "Maybe _now_ I can get to sleep."

Ichigo chuckled too, "Yeah." and was just about to enter his own room when a Hollow's cry split the night air. Kaien snickered. "It never ends, does it?" he asked rhetorically, and a tall young man in a wave-print kimono materialized next to him. "Hey, take Nejibana with you. Ever since we achieved materialization he's been itching to try flying solo. As in, without me. Kick some butt!" he laughed as his Zanpakuto spirit flew up beside Ichigo. "I always do."

* * *

End of Chapter 9

Next chapter teaser: Dropping the thunderBall

Whew! _This_ was a _looooong_ chapter! And I have plenty to say about it.

Yamamoto Soutaichou shouldn't be so harsh. Poor Hisagi-kun! But luckily Isane's there to cheer him up. ;)

I put Ashido in Squad 5 now, 'cause I thought it would be a better fit than 11.

Kazeshini's being a pain. What else is new? Oh, right. Sic 'im, Itonami. *grins at my smug Zanpakuto*

Itonami: Hey, he was askin' for it, so I delivered.

Me: With _very_ satisfying results, I might add. XD

Yeah, Hana Aevum and Itonami are my OCs, and Itonami's bro is Nejibana-sama. This is a FANfiction, people! I can create whoever I want!

I'm a sucker for happy reunions, and Nova's case is no exception. D'AWWW.

And... more crazy theory time with the Ishida and Kurosaki families. I've seen weirder, trust me. And I love that sneeze-superstition thing. It's so funny!

And speaking of humor... Keigo will never grow up. (At least, I _hope_ not!) *sigh* I love that froot-loop. (Platonically of course.)

Oh, and I put in a little tribute to one of my favorite anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! Love that show!

Yay! My favorite Captain! And a fun, thought-provoking story about one of my favorite Lieutenants! Oooh... the plot thickens... Eee-hee-hee-hee!

And... fluff with Shiba siblings, and bonding between 'spiritual brothers'. (That's what I call them, pay it no mind.) AWW!

Until next chapter, oyasumi!

Tsunami Storm


	10. Dropping the thunderBall

Just to warn you guys beforehand, one of the characters in this chapter uses a bad word. Generally I like to refrain from profanity in my stories, but this character was too stubborn. Keep your speech _clean_, kids!

From Hueco Mundo with Love

Chapter 10: Dropping the thunderBall

* * *

"See you on Monday, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called to her friend as they parted ways at the school gate.

"Ah. Ja ne, Inoue." the teen called back, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and counting down to himself. "San... ni... ichi..." Then he ducked as a white-and-gray blur sailed over his head and smashed into the sidewalk. "Iiii-chiii-gooo-OW!" Keigo yelped as his face connected with the unyielding concrete. "You weren't supposed to duck!" he complained, giving his friend a dirty look.

Ichigo huffed. "Well, sorry if I didn't feel like getting tackled today. You all right?" he asked, holding out a hand to help his friend up.

Keigo's nose looked a bit red, but he shrugged it off, taking the offered hand and pulling himself to his feet. "Nah. It'll take more than a face-plant on concrete to keep Asano Keigo down!" he announced proudly, making Ichigo sweatdrop at his friend's exuberance. Then he laughed boisterously, causing the sweatdrop to get bigger. "Say Ichigo, while I got ya here, you wanna hang out at the arcade? They just got a really cool lookin' new game! How 'bout it?" he asked, pulling his best 'puppy-dog eyes' look.

Ichigo made a face, one that said 'I-can't-believe-I'm-friends-with-this-fruitloop', but then shrugged, "Sure. Why not. It's not like I've got any plans for today."

Keigo's jaw dropped. "Seriously?! You actually said 'Yes'?! Oh Kami, the world is ending! Run!" then he pretended to faint theatrically.

Ichigo smirked and picked up his friend by the back of his uniform collar, setting him on his feet. "You're such a ham..." he growled, then pushed the other teenager in the direction of the nearest arcade.

…

"Man! How do you get so good at these?!" Keigo pouted as Ichigo beat him soundly at the fifth game in a row. Ichigo shrugged. "I'm a Substitute Shinigami. I need lightning-quick reflexes, or I'dve been a goner a long time ago."

"I guess that's true..." Keigo muttered, then he ran over to a VR Simulator and donned a helmet. "This one's based on Duel Monsters! Bet I can beat you at _this_ one, Ichigo!" he laughed, his perpetual excitement and child-like glee surfacing once again. Ichigo's brown eyes sparked with a challenge, and he grinned, donning another helmet. "You're on!"

After the two friends had defeated the 'Five-God Dragon' and saved Sim-lau, Ichigo once again earning the victory with double the points that Keigo had, the friends decided that it was time to call it quits and head home. Keigo's sister had called and requested some juice, so her brother would swing by a vendor on the way home. Since they would be taking the same route for a while, the boys decided to accompany each other.

As they passed a halfway-completed skyscraper construction site, Keigo inexplicably stopped and put a hand to his chest. "Right here." he mumbled, and Ichigo turned to look at him. "What?"

"This is the spot where that huge blue mosquito thing stabbed me and tried to absorb my soul." Keigo explained, and Ichigo's expression softened, his own memories of the incident replaying in his mind. "The Bitto. The Dolls the Bounto used to get stronger, by consuming concentrated, living souls." he snarled, a look of disgust on his face.

"That was the first time I saw you as a Shinigami." Keigo recalled, and his friend's expression softened again, this time looking concerned.

"I really thought I wouldn't be able to save you." he confessed. "The Bitto had already taken a good portion of your soul. I was so afraid that one of my best friends was going to die." he sighed, looking at Keigo in relief, glad that it had all turned out okay in the end.

"Really?" Keigo asked in surprise, and Ichigo nodded. He wasn't used to the orange-haired teenager showing this much emotion. Then he frowned in confusion. "How come I could see you only _then_? I mean, you'd obviously been a Shinigami for a while. Why couldn't I see you before?"

Ichigo sighed. "Rukia explained this to me once. 'Shinigami are spirits. They can only be seen by other spirits.' At that time, you were on the verge of... well, you know, so that's why you could see me. I guess. That's how that Koga guy explained it, anyway." he shrugged.

Keigo still looked confused. "But what about after that? I could see you when you jumped into Hueco Mundo to save Orihime. And I wasn't near death then."

Ichigo smiled slightly. "That's 'cause I donated some of my reiatsu, or 'spirit energy', so that you would recover. I didn't want to lose one of my best friends in this world."

"So, a part of your _spirit_... is in _me_ now?" Keigo asked, thunderstruck.

Ichigo shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal. It's just like a blood transfusion, really. No need to be alarmed." he explained, and Keigo relaxed. "Oh, that's okay then."

Ichigo smiled and shook his head, amused.

…

After several minutes of silence, Keigo commented, "Y'know, you seem so much more... relaxed nowadays. Like you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. Did something happen during your 'rescue' mission to that Hollow-place?"

Ichigo turned pensive for a moment. What could he tell him? That he'd been an unknowing vessel for Kaien's heart since birth? Or that his Inner Hollow had split from his soul and now lived in Hueco Mundo? No. He'd probably get chucked in a mental institution for saying stuff like _that_. Even if it _was_ all true.

"Something like that." he shrugged, shoving his fists into his pockets. "Among other things, I guess I finally realized that my Mom's death wasn't my fault, and I stopped blaming myself for it." He didn't like lying to his friend, but his statement _was_ true, in part.

"Way to kill the mood, O Master of Depressing-ness." Keigo teased suddenly, and Ichigo's mood changed faster than flicking on a light-switch. "Oh, that's it! Get back here!" he grinned, and the two friends began a Calvin-and-Hobbes-esque chase all the way to Keigo's apartment.

* * *

_Cough. Cough. Cough._ Juushiro groaned as he held an ice-bag to his head in an effort to soothe his massive headache. Kiyone poked her head into the doorway and asked in concern, "Can I get you anything, Ukitake-taichou-sama?"

"Oh, no thank you, Kiyone." Juushiro smiled, causing his subordinate to flush beet-red.

"You should be lying down and resting, taichou-sama." she chided gently, her face turning, if possible, even redder. Ukitake smiled again. "It's all right. I'm feeling better today." he waved, looking out the window at his giant koi pond. "Did I ever tell you about the origin of this particular pond?" he asked, and Kiyone suddenly snapped to attention, just like a soldier would.

"H-hai, Ukitake-taichou-sama!" she answered. "You told all of us squad members that Lieutenant Shiba accidentally flooded the place when he learned his sword's name. I remember it like it was yesterday." she giggled. "His face was so red!"

Ukitake laughed too. "Yes. I remember." Then he turned pensive. "It's a bit of a mystery, that this pond still exists. The water was created from Nejibana's energy. When Kaien died, his Zanpakuto supposedly died with him. And when that happened, the water should have disappeared. But, here it is." he gestured out the window, looking as if he were confused and intrigued at the same time.

Kiyone gasped, an epiphany suddenly striking her. "Could that mean... that Kaien's Zanpakuto still lives?! Or even... his Shinigami-?"

"No." Juushiro suddenly interrupted, startling the 3rd seat. "That's impossible. The idea that Kaien Shiba could be _alive_-" he broke off, succumbing to another round of harsh coughs, effectively ending _that_ conversation.

"But... how would one explain the pond, then?" Kiyone mumbled, confused. Then she shook her head to clear her thoughts and did her best to help her captain.

"By the way, where is Sentarou?" Ukitake asked, and Kiyone grimaced. "He's off training some new recruits. I would be helping him, but he insisted that I wasn't needed, so I came here to help _you_ with anything." she trailed off, looking bashfully at the floor. Ukitake smiled, grateful that he had such tireless subordinates, who carried out orders without question, sometimes even without being asked.

"Um... I don't wanna jinx it by saying this, but you've been having quite a few 'good days' lately. Is it... could it be possible that you are slowly recovering?" Kiyone asked, daring to hope that her words had come true.

Ukitake shrugged. "Anything's possible, Kiyone." He looked out the window at Kaien's pond again. "Anything's possible."

* * *

"Aniki! Aniki! Dokoda?" Ganju called, wandering around the Shiba residence and calling for his sister. "This ain't 'Hide 'n Seek' ya know!" he bellowed, throwing open another set of doors.

The final room he came to was guarded by the family bodyguards, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko. Ganju approached them and made to enter the cannon room, but they blocked the doorway.

"Forgive us, Ganju-sama, but Miss Kukkaku expressly requested that she not be disturbed. Please, it would be best to respect her privacy." the pair pleaded in unison, but Ganju ignored them, shoving them out of the way to both sides where they sprawled comically on the floor. He flung open the heavy metal door, and was greeted by the sounds of soft snorting and the clear noises of a young woman weeping in the total blackness.

"Hey, Sis, you seen Bonnie-chan arou-" Ganju blurted, but froze when he realized what was happening. His sister; strong, loud, abrasive Kukkaku Shiba, was _hugging_ the aforementioned boar around the neck and _crying_. Ganju had never seen her so much as shed a tear before, and now she was sobbing into the boar's mane as if her heart had burst.

Suddenly she looked up, wiping the tears from her teal eyes with her left arm. "G-Ganju?" she sniffled, and Bonnie ran over to her younger master and tackled him to the floor, shoving her pink snout in his face and grunting in greeting. Ganju laughed and shoved her face away from his so he could get up. Then he looked at his sister, who was still kneeling in the same spot.

"What're you two doin' in here?" Ganju asked, clueless. "And what's with the waterworks, Sis?"

Kukkaku looked down at her wooden right arm. "It's the anniversary."

"Of what? Yer arm getting blown off in that accident?" Ganju asked, then he realized too late that what he'd said was very rude and insensitive.

"No, stupid!" Kukkaku growled, returning to her usual personality for a moment before looking down again. "Well actually, it's _that_ anniversary too, but the main one I was thinking of was... Nii-sama..." she sniffed, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Bonnie got into the house and somehow got in here. I was gonna chew you out for not tying her up well enough, but you weren't around. So I went to get her out myself. All of a sudden it hit me. I looked at my useless right arm, the cannon, Bonnie, and it got to me. I couldn't stop the tears, or the memories." she explained, sinking to her knees and gripping her wooden right elbow with her left hand, crying again.

_That's right_, Ganju recalled._ Kaien built this cannon originally, and _he_ came up with the Kido spells to fire it. He found and tamed Bonnie-chan, _and _he carved that wooden arm for Kukkaku after her accident. No wonder Sis broke down in here. There's too many memories of big brother..._

He walked over to his older sister, kneeling down and putting an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle side-hug.

"I know Sis..." he muttered. "I miss him too. But he wouldn't have wanted us to break down like this. He was always telling us to be strong and look out for each other, just like he always looked out for us."

Kukkaku sniffled. _That might be the deepest thing Ganju's ever said..._ Then out of nowhere, her stomach growled audibly.

Ganju laughed. "Come on, Aniki. Let's get some dinner."

* * *

Worlds away, Kaien was deep in thought, studying the tattoo on his left arm, the one that marked him as a member of the Shiba clan. He looked up at the starlit sky, his teal eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Despite what he'd told Isshin and the others the night that they'd escaped from Hueco Mundo, He missed his brother and sister terribly. An aching pain throbbed in his heart whenever he pictured their faces, but he was also smiling as a droplet ran from his eye to his temple before disappearing into his hair. He sat up from his position on the roof, turning his gaze to his new guest, who had been trying to be quiet.

"Couldn't sleep either, Ichigo?" Kaien asked knowingly, and the Substitute Shinigami nodded, sitting down next to the other Soul Reaper with a _huff_. "No. It feels so weird. I mean, ever since I can remember, I've always felt this... pressure in my heart area. I didn't know what it was, but it didn't really bother me, so I just accepted it as I grew up. But now that it's gone..." he trailed off, looking up at the stars.

"You feel incomplete, like something's missing." Kaien finished, and the teen nodded. "Exactly."

Kaien smiled knowingly. "I'm afraid that there's nothing for it but to get used to it again. That 'pressure' was me, or more accurately, my heart, pushing against your spirit. You grew up with that... 'abnormality', and now that it's been removed, 'normal' feels weird and empty." he sighed, and Ichigo nodded. That was exactly how it felt.

"I'm sorry about that." Kaien apologized, looking sideways at his former 'host'.

Ichigo snorted. "Why're you apologizing? You had no control over what happened. It was in Kami's hands."

"Cause I feel responsible, that's why!" Kaien snapped, then he looked down at his feet. "Sorry for that too. That was uncalled for."

"What's up with the bad mood? From what I've heard from Rukia, you're just about my polar opposite when it comes to personality." Ichigo asked, and Kaien sighed. "I miss them. My brother and sister." he whispered softly, looking at his family tattoo again.

Ichigo looked down too, then put a gentle hand on Kaien's shoulder and muttered, "I can't believe I'm saying something _this _cheesy, but you know they're always with you, right? In here." he pulled back his hand and put it over his cardiac organ. "And that works both ways."

Kaien smiled, then quietly laughed once. "You're right, Ichigo. Thanks." he smiled. Then he climbed down into the house via his bedroom window and chuckled, "Maybe _now_ I can get to sleep."

Ichigo chuckled too, "Yeah." and was just about to enter his own room when a Hollow's cry split the night air. Kaien snickered. "It never ends, does it?" he asked rhetorically, and a tall young man in a wave-print kimono materialized next to him. "Hey, take Nejibana with you. Ever since we achieved materialization he's been itching to try flying solo. As in, without me. Kick some butt!" he laughed as his Zanpakuto spirit flew up beside Ichigo. "I always do." the young man answered with a grin.

* * *

It was three days later that Nova truly woke up. There had been several false alarms over the past few days, but this time he stayed awake for the whole day.

"Honestly, I'm quite impressed with his progress." Ryuuken commented to his son in the lobby, right after he'd signed the discharge form for the red-haired teenager.

"Well, according to his medical record, he's never been sick a _day_ in his life and he's a fast healer. He's only been here for yearly check-ups and only in the 'sick' ward for a broken arm." Uryuu commented, glancing at his file. Nova chuckled. "Yeah, I... ah, fell down the stairs when I was eight." He was leaning against the wall that led to the west wing, face slightly red.

"Hey, you're up!" Uryuu smiled, and the redhead smiled back, no trace of pain in his expressions or movements. He was either the fastest healer the young Quincy had ever seen, or he hid the pain _very_ well.

"I probably don't have to tell you this, but try to avoid those Hollows on your way home." Ryuuken smirked, and Nova grinned sheepishly. _Thanks to Kaien, I'll never have to face _that_ monster Metastacia again... I guess we're even now._

"Nii-sama? Is... is that you?" Shuichi breathed, just entering the lobby for his daily pilgrimage to his brother's bedside.

"It's me Yoko," Nova chuckled, calling the boy by his old nickname for him. "I'm back. And awake for real this time."

Shuichi laughed in relief, running to his brother and hugging him around the middle. Nova's mischievous smirk turned to a soft, genuine smile as he hugged his brother back. He thanked Dr. Ishida and Uryuu for all of their help, then the two boys left the hospital lobby to begin their trek home. On a whim, they decided to take the downtown route, passing the back alley that led to Urahara's 'candy store' and smiling at the memories.

"You wanna get a pack of sour gummy snakes for old time's sake?" Nova asked his brother, who smiled wider. "Sure. Why not?" he asked rhetorically, and the two boys turned down the alley, spotting a familiar black cat on the way.

"Good to see you're out and about, Nova." Yoruichi commented, then snickered when Shuichi looked around wildly for the source of the voice.

"Arigato, Yoruichi-san." Nova smiled, then followed the black cat back to Urahara's establishment with his brother eyeing the feline suspiciously.

"Hey, Nova!" Jinta waved. "You made it!" he laughed, waving his broom in salute.

"It's good to see you well, Nova-san." Ururu bowed shyly, her perpetual blush once again coloring her face.

"Thanks Ururu, you too. Good to see you too, Jinta." Nova grinned, opening the sliding door and ringing the overhead bell with a finger.

"Yeah, I'll be with ya momentarily-" Urahara yawned, but then he noticed who his customers were. "Oh, Nova! You're out! It's good to see ya!" the former Captain waved, and Nova waved back.

"So, does this mean you're coming here to stay?" Urahara asked, and Nova smiled. "Nope. For the first time in about three years, I'm here as a customer. Well... Shuichi is, anyway." he shrugged.

"What'll it be, young man?" Urahara asked, and the boy picked a pack of his once-favorite sweet off the shelf. "Just this." He held up the container so Urahara could see.

"That's it? Well, okay. 50 yen please." the shopkeeper commented, slightly disappointed, and Nova handed him the currency. "Thanks, and feel free to visit any time, you two!" he called after the brothers as they left the shop.

"Thank _you_, Urahara-san." Nova looked back, a gentle smile on his face. "For everything." Then he disappeared into a portal to catch up with his brother.

Sigh. "I'm gonna miss having him around. He's a good kid."

As soon as the boys had rounded the corner, Shuichi was nearly clipped by a passing motorcycle in a high-speed chase, before Nova pulled him back. A squad car blew by the boys in hot pursuit, and one of the officers had shockingly red hair.

"Dad..." Nova gasped, spotting his father for the first time in 2½ years.

…

"Did you see how close these lowlives got to clipping those boys? The nerve of some teenagers these days..." one officer grunted, stuffing half a doughnut into his mouth as he drove. "Am I right, sir?"

Satoshi could not answer right away, and when he finally did, it was in a shocked whisper. Something he had seen had rocked him to his very core. "That was my- back there..."

"Your boy? Shuichi, isn't it?" the other cop asked, and Satoshi nodded mutely. "Wonder who the other kid was?" he mused out loud.

"He's my son." Satoshi whispered, and just as his partner was about to point out that he already knew that, his superior interrupted. "_Both_ of them."

"But I thought you said that your oldest _died_ in a terrible freak-accident." the cop protested, wondering if his superior had had too much to drink before his shift.

"You're right, Fordman." Mr. Minamino answered. "I... don't know what I saw back there, but it wasn't Nova. Just some tall kid with red hair." _Just like mine and Shuichi's..._ He shook his head and took a swig of his coffee from the cup-holder. "Get your head in the game, Minamino. No time for hallucinations." he muttered to himself.

"You sure you're okay, sir?" his subordinate asked, and Satoshi nodded. "'Cause honestly, I can probably bring these two punks in myself."

"No. I'm good now." Satoshi answered. "Besides, this is your first real mission, hotshot. I'm here to make sure you don't make any rookie mistakes, or at the very least clean up after ya."

"Hey!" the rookie protested, but a small grudging part of him knew that Minamino was right. It would be just like him to fumble something up here.

…

Suddenly, the motorcyclists turned a corner, straight into a dead-end. The squad car was right behind them, and within seconds, they were trapped like rats.

"End of the line, punks, now hands up and face the wall." Satoshi growled, cocking his gun. The safety was still on, and he'd yet to ever use the business end of it, but it never hurt to spook the perps a little.

"Busted." the gang of two growled in seeming defeat, but really they were smirking at each other and removing silent pistols from their jackets. As soon as those stupid cops said the words "Spread 'em", they would fill them with lead bullets.

"All right, you yahoos. Spread 'em." the rookie cop ordered, and the duo grinned. "Wrong word choice there, greenhorn!" one yelled, and the other cried, "You first, Grandpa!" and fired.

Satoshi Minamino barely had time to brace himself, but the pain never came. Out of nowhere, a young man in his late teens jumped in front of him, shouting a single word in a voice that would echo in his mind for years.

"_Dad_!" Nova cried, jumping between his father and the bullet, absorbing the slug into non-space before letting it out next to the shooter's leg. It was nowhere near an organ or major blood vessel, but it was still painful as all get-out. Needless to say, Perp #1 went down wailing like a sack of potatoes.

"You'll pay for that, bastard!" Perp #2 shouted, and fired at Nova's head. The boy never even flinched. He simply sucked the bullet out of this dimension and then let it out, this time into the man's gun hand. The criminal screamed, but Nova ignored him, turning around to look at his father now that the threat had been neutralized.

"You okay, Dad? I'm not too late?" he asked, but his father was silent. One could hardly blame him for _that_, though. Nova was supposed to be _dead_. His partner, who was clueless as to the boy's identity, just accepted the boy as his hero and immediately went to action, cuffing the criminals and marching them to the squad car, roughly shoving them in and slamming the door, confiscating their dropped guns and bags of stolen drugs as evidence.

"N... No... Nova?" Satoshi stuttered finally, gaping at what he thought was the ghost of his eldest son, who smiled gently. "You're not hurt. That's good." he assessed, just as Shuichi ran up. "Dad! Did they shoot at you? Are you hurt?"

His youngest son's voice seemed to break the spell, and father turned from one son to the other. "Yes and no. Yes, they _did_ shoot at me, but no, I'm not hurt at all." he turned back to Nova. "I guess there really _are_ such things as 'guardian angels'. And your _brother_ is one of them..." he breathed, a mixture of disbelief and awe in his voice at this last realization.

"I don't know about 'angels', Dad, but Nova's really here. He's alive." Shuichi interjected, walking up and poking his brother on the arm. Nova made a face at him, but then neutralized his expression again. "See? You can't touch spirits or angels."

Satoshi was silent for a full minute, then turned about inexplicably and barked an order at his rookie partner. "Take those two back to the station, Fordman. I... I think it's time I call it a night." And just as his partner and car left, Satoshi Minamino dropped to the ground in a dead faint.

"Well that went well." Nova commented facetiously, using his powers to lift his father onto his back and summoning a portal to take them home.

* * *

-Flashback-

"Hey, Dad, check this out!" a ten-year-old Nova beamed as he held an unremarkable pebble in his open palm. Then he screwed up his face in concentration, and the rock vanished from his palm, making his father jump.

"I'm a human teleporter! Woohoo!" the child shouted to the heavens as he ran off laughing, leaving his stunned father alone in the backyard.

"Nozomi, you were right. Our boy has a gift. He's special."

What was even more special was that the very same pebble landed on the boy's bed not five seconds later, as Nozomi was vacuuming.

-End Flashback-

Satoshi awoke with a start, sitting up from the makeshift bed [aka, the couch] with a gasp and looking wildly around at his surroundings.

"Hey Dad. You're up." Shuichi greeted with a smile, and his father looked at him in confusion for a moment. "Shuichi," he breathed. "Was all that last night a dream? Then, how did I get home?"

"It wasn't a dream, and Nova carried you home. He's upstairs, sleeping in his old room." Shuichi answered, smiling. "You fainted, remember?"

"Oh yeah. It's all coming back now." Satoshi nodded. Then he looked back at his son. "He's... he's really here? But... how?"

"It's a miracle, Satoshi. Simple as that." Nozomi smiled as she walked out of the kitchen. "Everyone thought that we'd lost him nearly three years ago, but he made it." she sniffled, a tear of happiness dropping from her chin.

"Barely. Thanks to Urahara-san and Dr. Kurosaki."_ Not to mention a miracle from the heavens_... Nova added mentally, coming down the stairs and rubbing his head. "I'd forgotten that using my powers too much would give me a headache the next day." he growled in annoyance, but then shrugged. "Ah well. It was worth it."

He stayed leaning against the wall as his father approached him. On his face was an expression of denial as he studied his oldest son. After five solid minutes, he breathed, "It _is_ you. You're really here." Then he embraced a surprised Nova, tears streaming into his mustache and beard.

Unseen by the newly-restored family of four, a certain Shinigami was watching the scene unfold from the living room window, a soft smile on his face. "So, a happy reunion. Maybe I should return to Soul Society and my family as well."

* * *

"He's your... _brother_?" Sode no Shirayuki breathed, and Itonami nodded.

"My Shinigami has no relation to his, but Nejibana is my real brother." she explained, still looking at her feet. "I don't know how it's possible, but it's true."

"Huh." Kazeshini huffed, still peeved at the young female Zanpakuto. "Too bad no one's seen him for years." he sneered, trying to hurt her feelings.

A tear ran from Itonami's cerulean eyes, and she covered her face with her hands, running away sobbing.

"Kazeshini! That was cruel, even for you!" Suzumebachi scolded, buzzing off to comfort her friend. The rest of the gathered Zanpakuto spirits scowled at him disapprovingly, and the wind demon shifted uncomfortably.

"We liked Nejibana-sama! Why'd you hafta say _that_?" Sougyo no Kotowari whined, making pouty faces at the Zanpakuto, who had the good grace to look slightly abashed. He would never admit this aloud, but he held all the captain-level Zanpakuto in high regard, especially Tengen, Hyorinmaru, and Ryuujin Jakka. He thought privately,_ If I could swallow my pride and work _with_ my Shinigami, I could be as powerful as _they_ are, maybe finally get some respect around here._

He questioned his sanity at this last thought, then amended,_ What am I _saying_? My Shinigami should be working with _me_, not the other way around! _He _should change his attitude, not _me_!_ Then he stomped off toward the forest, grumbling to himself about females being too emotional.

…

"That was out of line, what Kazeshini said," Suzumebachi stated, putting a small hand on Itonami's shoulder as she cried. The girl sniffled.

"I..." she hiccuped. "I just miss him so much!" she sobbed, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono and sniffling pitifully.

"I don't know _exactly _how you feel, but I've made a few good friends over the years, and I know what it's like to worry about them." Suzumebachi commented, sympathetic.

"As do I." a cloaked being commented, walking up with Sode no Shirayuki. The ice-type Zanpakuto explained, "This is Ryushiro. I don't know if he's an old friend or a new face, but I met him a few days ago."

"I'm an old friend, to some of you." the man stated suddenly. "Actually, I'm surprised that you didn't see through my weak façade immediately, Sode no Shirayuki." He tore off his shroud, revealing his appearance at last. "Have you so soon forgotten our sparring sessions? I'm hurt." he mock-pouted.

"I-Impossible!" the ice-maiden gasped in disbelief, not believing her own eyes.

"Weren't you paying attention at _all_ to what Rukia was doing in Hueco Mundo?" Nejibana teased, causing the pale woman to turn pink. "Or after that?"

"I guess not." Ginrei Ookami laughed, walking up as Itonami gasped. "N-nii-sama?"

Nejibana smiled gently. "I missed you, sis. It's good to see you again." he said, kneeling down beside the girl and giving her a warm hug. Itonami smiled with joy and laughed, hugging her brother back as if she'd never let him go again.

...

After a long time, Nejibana stood up, helping Itonami to her feet as well. "I'm sorry for lying to all of you, but I felt it was necessary. Until my master made himself known, no one could know that _I_ had returned as well. Forgive me, little sister, Sode no Shirayuki." he asked, contrite.

The snow-sword smiled and nodded, putting a pale hand to the man's face. "There's nothing to forgive." she smiled, and Itonami just hugged him again.

"I can't believe it." Suzumebachi breathed. "You've been alive this _whole_ time, and you never _told_ us?!" she buzzed, hurt. Nejibana smiled guiltily. "Sort of. I didn't truly 'wake up' until a few days before Sode no Shirayuki first met 'Ryushiro'. Believe me, I _wanted_ to tell you, but it was too soon."

Sougyo no Kotowari walked up, hand in hand. "Nejibana? Where is Kaien now?" the boys asked, pulling on the man's sleeve.

He smiled. "He's in the Living World now, staying with the Kurosaki family until the time is right. Eventually, he _will_ return to the Soul Society, though not necessarily to the Gotei 13."

"Why not?" the twin boys asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Nejibana laughed. "Well, think about it for a minute. How would _you_ react if someone you had thought dead for years suddenly came back? I doubt the transition would be smooth. He's waiting until the shock dissipates. Then he'll return."

"So, we can tell our Shinigami about this miracle?" Suzumebachi asked, just for clarification, and Nejibana nodded. "Just be careful though, when you break the news to them. Some might not be as receptive to the news as others. Especially those who knew him well. Like your captain, Sougyo no Kotowari."

The boys nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"What about his brother and sister? Do they already know?" Sode no Shirayuki asked, and Nejibana looked down. "No, they don't. I think Ukitake would be the best one to tell them, since he was close to Kaien, and a Captain to boot. They're most likely to believe _him_."

…

Kazeshini scowled as he listened from a distance to Nejibana's explanation, crossing his arms. _Who cares? _he thought to himself.

* * *

End of chapter 10

Next chapter teaser: In His Majesty's Secret Service

Keigo will never grow up. (At least, I _hope_ not!) *sigh* I love that froot-loop. (Platonically of course.)

Oh, and I put in a little tribute to one of my favorite anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! Love that show!

Yay! My favorite Captain! And a fun, thought-provoking story about one of my favorite Lieutenants! Oooh... the plot thickens... Eee-hee-hee-hee!

And... fluff with Shiba siblings, and bonding between 'spiritual brothers'. (That's what I call them, pay it no mind.) AWW!

Oh, Yoruichi-san. Quit teasing everybody with the 'talking cat' thing. XD

50 yen is enough for one pack of candy, right? (is not very familiar with Japanese currency)

Aww! The reunion is finally here! Nova's finally home. *sniff* I'm so happy for him! Now I just gotta figure out a way for Kaien to return to his family and friends.

Kaze, you're such a jerk! Y u so mean? Knowing _him_, he'll probably tell everybody on purpose, just to mess things up. You'll never reach Bankai with immaturity like that!

Kazeshini: Urusei, baka!


End file.
